President Ram Nath Kovind called on Wednesday the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua heinous, barbaric and shameful, and expressed concern over children falling victim to gruesome crimes across India. He said protecting children should be the primary responsibility of any society.
The girl from a nomadic Muslim community was abducted on January 10 and her crumpled body was recovered seven days later. Anger, shock and protests swept India as chilling details emerged last week of how the child was kidnapped, drugged, raped and battered to death in captivity.
"The smile of innocent children is the most beautiful thing in this world. The biggest success of any society is, its children are secure. An innocent girl of this state became the victim of crimes one can't ever imagine," Kovind said in his address at the convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra.
A retired government official, his son, his juvenile nephew, the nephew's friend and four policemen have been arrested for the horrific crimes. Seven were put on trial in Kathua on Monday. The next date of hearing is April 28. The juvenile's trial will happen separately.
"After 70 years of independence, such crimes in any part of the country are shameful. We all have to think where we are going, what society we are developing into and what we are giving to the future generation," the President said.
"Are we building a society where our mothers, sisters and daughters can expect independence, justice and equality? It is our collective responsibility that such crimes should not happen in any corner of the country", he said.
The Supreme Court asked the J&K government on Monday to provide protection to the family members of the victim and their counsels. The court also issued notice to the state on the father's petition that says the accused must be tried outside J&K because the atmosphere in Jammu is highly "polarised".
Two BJP ministers quit the J&K government on Friday after backing the Kathua accused. A BJP MLA was also arrested on the same day in Lucknow for raping a minor whose father died after being thrashed by his men. This was after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country was ashamed by the two cases and promised that no culprit will be spared.
J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said at the convocation on Wednesday that recent crimes are alarming and have shaken the society. "When we talk of value system, I feel it is under real crisis. How can someone do such a cruel thing to a small girl who is a manifestation of Mata Vaishno Devi? There is something wrong with the society," she said.
President Kovind will visit the Mubarak Mandi heritage site on Thursday before flying back to Delhi.
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 "Ram Nath Kovind")
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