Kishtwar minor’s sexual assault-death : Six held, including nurse, over alleged role in pregnancy termination

A nurse at the Kishtwar district hospital has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a 15-year-old tribal girl by a school teacher and the circumstances surrounding her death, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six, police said on Saturday.

The nurse, identified as Sonika, was arrested on Friday after an FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a police spokesperson said.

The minor 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, officials said.

The teacher and his brother were subsequently arrested. According to police, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case found that the teacher and his brother had allegedly conspired to administer medicines to the girl in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy.

The girl was initially taken to a public health centre in Chatroo before being shifted to Kishtwar district hospital, allegedly with the involvement of a hospital sanitation worker, police said.

She delivered a stillborn baby and later died.

During the investigation, the SIT allegedly found that Sonika had a role in the attempted termination of the pregnancy, leading to her arrest, the spokesperson said.

Police said the SIT was continuing a “thorough, scientific, impartial and evidence-based” investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the girl’s death and the role of all those connected to the case.

Further arrests will be made if warranted by the evidence, police said, adding that strict legal action would be taken against anyone found involved.

Earlier, a sanitation worker at Kishtwar district hospital was removed from service over his alleged role in the conspiracy to conceal information about the crime, officials said.