NEW DELHI: Jaddi plant’s tiny white flowers blossom on the grave that lies up a perilous hill, eights kilometres away from Kathua’s Rasana village.
The grave belongs to eight-year-old victim of Muslim, belonged to Bakerwal nomadic tribe who was held captive at a village temple for several days, before brutally murdered on January 10 last year that had sparked outrage across the country.
Only days ago, the flowers bloomed on her grave indicating that the little girl’s soul is happy with the court’s verdict, feels the family, which keeps an eye on the the minor’s last resting place.
“She was like a blooming flower who was crushed by the demons at such a tender age. Always full of life she was the most beautiful and caring child. The flowers were there for around a month but those have started smiling for last few days which we believe indicate that her soul is happy post the verdict in the case,” said a member of the family that manages the graveyard. “There has not been a day when we don’t go to the grave and pray for peace to her soul,” reported TOI.
The epitaph ( an inscription on a tombstone) reads, “Zulm aur zyadti ki shikaar, shaheed —… lakhte jigar — tareekhe shahadat 17 January 2018.” This loosely translates as “victim of cruelty and excesses. Martyr —Date of Martyrdom 17 January 2018.”
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Except the minor’s family, not many people visit the grave. “Many villagers in Rasana objected to burying her body in that village so we brought her body to our village and buried her in our ancestral graveyard. After that she came in dream of one of our elderly members and thanked him for providing space to her in our land. I am sure as the court has convicted her killers, she must be happy up there in heaven. Till the judgment, her soul must have been roaming waiting for justice,” said Abdul Jabbar, a distant relative of the deceased.
“The grave was kucha but in February, close to her first death anniversary, we got the sides cemented and put an iron fence. Her father and mother would frequently visit the grave. They had last come around April and offered prayers at the grave,” he added.
A Special Court in Pathankot of Punjab on Monday, 11 June 2019, convicted six out of the seven in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl..
Those convicted include former revenue official Sanji Ram, Special Police Officers Deepak Khajuria and Surinder Kumar, two investigating officers — head constable Tilak Raj and sub-inspector Anand Dutta and Parvesh Kumar.
The 15-page charge sheet against the accused had said she was drugged, starved and repeatedly gangraped for several days. She was finally strangled and her head was bashed in with a rock. Her mutilated body was found in a forest area on January 17.