Shameful that cases like Kathua rape happen even 70 years after independence: President Ram Nath Kovind

Condemning the Kathua rape and murder case, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said that it is shameful that such incidents are taking place even 70 years after Independence. "After 70 years of independence, such an incident occurring in any part of the country is shameful. We have to think what kind of society are we developing. It is our responsibility to ensure such a thing does not happen to any girl or woman," President Kovind said on Wednesday.

The remark comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured that no criminal will be spared. "Our daughters will get justice. Such incidents shake our sensibilities," he added, in a series of tweets. He further added, "I had the courage to speak with the Red Fort, question boys, not girls. From family situations, social values to the justice system – we need to strengthen everything. Only then will be able to create the dream of Baba Sahib, new India." 

There has been massive uproar over the recent cases of rapes in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. An eight-year-old girl child in Kathua in the Jammu region, who belonged to a nomadic Bakerwal community, had disappeared from near her home in the forests on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area, and medical examination pointed towards sexual assault and torture. 

In Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, teen alleged that she was raped by Sengar and others at the MLA's residence on June 4, 2017, where she had gone with a relative seeking a job. Frustrated over the inaction of law enforcement agencies, the victim and her family tried to set themselves ablaze outside UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence on April 8. The very next day, her father died allegedly in the jail with post-mortem suggesting serious injuries on his body.