Kathua Rape And Murder: Call Details, Medical Opinion Nail Accused

Srinagar: The Crime Branch investigation into gruesome rape and murder of an eight-year-old from a minority nomadic community in Kathua has revealed the complexity of the accused through medical opinion, call records and other expert means.

The Crime Branch has revealed the complexity of the accused in a supplementary charge sheet filed by it before a Pathankot court where the trial of the case is being conducted on the day-to-day basis.

The Crime Branch has already arrested mastermind of the crime Sanji Ram, his son Vishal and his juvenile nephew, two special police officers Deepak Khajuria alias ‘Dipu’ and Surender Verma and friend Parvesh Kumar alias Mannu. All of them were named in the first charge sheet on April 9.

During further investigation detailed call data record analysis in respect of accused namely, Deepak Khajuria, Sanji Ram, Tilak Raj, Anand Dutta, Surinder and Vishal Jangotra was got conducted through Incharge Cyber Cell, the Crime branch has submitted in the supplementary charge sheet.

The analysis indicates communication between some of the accused on important days concerning the crime as well as after January 27, the day when the case was formally handed over to Crime Branch.

“Common location analysis based on the data provided by the cellular companies indicates presence of some of the accused in and around Rasana, Kootah on crucial dates concerning crime corroborating many instances of the main charge sheet. From the analysis, it is evident that spike in the calls, between some of the accused, is visible immediately around important dates of occurrence of crime, after the recovery of the dead body of the victim as well as when crime scenes were inspected by the investigating agency in this case,” it says, pointing out meeting of minds in furtherance of a conspiracy which resulted in the rape and murder of the victim.

Sources told GNS that CDR analysis also reveals that Vishal Jangotra remained in constant touch with his family whenever he has been in U.P and only in few instances there is no communication with his family for few days. “There are no calls between accused Vishal and his parents from 12.01.2018 to 17.01.2018 which is unusual and vouches for his presence in Rasana on crucial dates concerning crime as well as his subsequent conduct after returning back to Meerut, UP,” The Crime Branch has submitted in the supplementary charge sheet.

Analysis of CDRs of Vishal also reveal that he has a pattern of travelling to UP from Rasana in the late evening hours and reaching UP in the morning and conversely a pattern of travelling from UP to Rasana in the late evening hours and reaching Rasana in the early morning hours.

In the charge sheet, the crime branch has also revealed that bank account of Sanji Ram showed that in the month of December 2017 & January 2018 he has repeatedly withdrawn the substantial amount of money ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1, 00,000 from his bank account on different dates. During the investigation, it also transpired that Sanji Ram had neither undertaken any constructional activity nor had he acquired any valuable asset nor any social function was solemnized in his family. The Crime Branch has concluded that accused Sanji Ram paid accused police officials as bribe for ensuring destruction of evidence.

The account maintained and operated by accused police officials Anand Dutta and Tilak Raj also revealed that there was a drop in the withdrawals made during the month of January when compared to preceding month as well the succeeding month.

The Crime Branch has also established that the victim was administered sedatives by accused during her captivity. “Two tablets recovered on the disclosure of Juvenile in conflict with the law from near Devsthan Rasana were sent to the forensic lab for analysis. The chemical analysis report obtained thereof reveals the presence of Clonazepam salt in the tablets.”

The expert opinion coupled with other evidence that has come on record prima-facie establishes that the victim child was continuously administered overdose of Clonazepam rendering her incapacitated to resist rape and her murder, the crime branch said.

Earlier this month, the Crime Branch informed the Supreme Court that it would be submitting a supplementary charge sheet in the case. The apex court had given them eight weeks to file it.

The district and sessions court in Pathankot framed charges of rape and murder against the seven accused in the case on June 8. (GNS)