Kishtwar girl’s rape-death probe handed to Crime Branch amid cover-up allegations

The J&K government has ordered the Crime Branch to take over the investigation into the alleged sexual assault and death of a tribal teenager in Kishtwar, amid allegations of a cover-up. This decision follows protests after the girl was brought to a district hospital for an alleged abortion attempt that proved fatal. Six individuals, including a nurse and a sweeper at the hospital, have been arrested for alleged complicity, as well as the accused headmaster and three of his relatives.

The petition filed by the girl's father in the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh High Court alleges a cover-up, stating that she was seven months pregnant at the time of her death. He claims that he discovered her pregnancy only after she was taken to a health center a fortnight before her demise, and that the headmaster and others, including a local chemist and two teachers, attempted to conceal the truth.