J&K Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta sparks row with remark on Kathua gangrape case

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta, who took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, has triggered a row with his statement on Kathua gangrape and murder case. According to the Deputy CM, the incident in Kathua is a minor one and should not be given much importance.

Following the uproar over his remark, the BJP leader clarified on his statement, saying he meant that there were several cases like Kathua, and attempts should not be made to rake up the issue intentionally. He also said that since the case was sub-judice, it was not appropriate to raise the issue repeatedly.

“Maine ye kaha ki is tarah ke kaafi maamle hain, janbhooj kar isko bhadkane ki koshish nahin karni chahiye (I said that there are several such cases, attempts should not be made to raise the issue intentionally),” said Gupta.

He further said, “Kathua ka maamla subjudice hai. Ab uspar SC tay karegi, baar baar us issue ko chhedna thik nahi hai. Is maamle ko tul dena acchi baat nahi hai. (Kathua issue in sub-judice. Now Supreme Court will decide on the issue, it is not appropriate to raise the issue repeatedly. It is not right to blow the issue out of proportion).”

The Supreme Court has stayed the trial in the Kathua gangrape case till May 7, in the wake of petitions seeking transfer of the case to Chandigarh and handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra had said that it would deal with the prayer of the victim's father for shifting the trial to Chandigarh and the plea of the accused seeking handing over the probe to CBI.

An eight-year-old child from a minority nomadic community had disappeared from near her home in a village near Kathua in Jammu region on January 10. Her body was found in the same area a week later. During the hearing, the apex court had witnessed heated exchanges between senior advocate Indira Jaising, who appeared for the victim's family, and advocate Harvinder Chaudhary, who was representing the accused.