Hand over Kishtwar rape-death case to crime branch: Mehbooba urges Jammu and Kashmir LG

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti. File | Photo Credit: PTI

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday (August 28, 2026) urged Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to hand over the Kishtwar rape and death case to the crime branch for a transparent and time-bound investigation.

In a post on X, Ms. Mufti, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said the incident is not merely another instance of rising crimes against women, but "is a deep, festering wound on the conscience of our society."

"Ten days on, the silence surrounding this brutal crime is only deepening the anguish of the grieving family and eroding public faith in the justice system. If decisive action is not taken now and the perpetrators brought to justice with exemplary punishment, such heinous crimes will continue with impunity," she said.

The PDP chief urged Mr. Sinha to immediately hand over the case to the crime branch for a fair, transparent and time-bound investigation.

A 15-year-old tribal girl was allegedly sexually assaulted repeatedly by her school teacher over several months, resulting in her pregnancy.

She died on August 20 following an alleged attempt to terminate the pregnancy in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district in Jammu.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.