J&K rape-death case: Crime Branch raids homes of prime accused, brother
The Crime Branch on Wednesday, September 2, raided the residence of the prime accused in the rape-and-death case involving a 15-year-old tribal girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar, while authorities dismissed another hospital sanitation worker arrested in connection with the case, officials said.
The case was handed over to the Crime Branch on August 29 following widespread protests and condemnation.
According to officials, the minor was allegedly raped by her school teacher over several months before she died during a pregnancy termination procedure on August 20.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police has so far arrested seven people, including the main accused, his brother, two hospital sanitation workers and a nurse.
The arrests were made in connection with an FIR registered at Chatroo police station under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A Crime Branch team raided the residence of the prime accused as well as the house of his brother on Wednesday, officials said.
The searches were conducted as part of the ongoing investigation to gather evidence and examine material that could help establish the sequence of events and the alleged involvement of the accused, they said.
In a related development, authorities terminated with immediate effect the services of a Hospital Development Fund (HDF) sanitation worker at District Hospital Kishtwar following her arrest in the case on August 30, officials said.
"This office has been formally intimated about the said arrest...the allegations and the nature of the offences involved are of an extremely grave and serious nature, which have rendered the continuation of the said individual in service wholly incompatible with the discipline, integrity, reputation and functioning of a public health institution," the termination order said.