4 arrested in Handwara rape and murder case

Srinagar, July 25: The Jammu and Kashmir police today claimed to have solved the rape and murder case of a teenaged girl after arresting four persons, including two non-locals.

The incident which rocked the state legislature and entire north Kashmir for about a week, was condemned by all politicial, religious, separatists and militant organisations.

Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani demanded that all non-locals should leave the valley.

On July 20 the body of a 8th class student Tabinda Gani was recovered at Langate in the afternoon. It was established that the girl was raped and later killed by slitting her throat.

A special team headed by Sub-Division Police Officer (SDPO), Handwara, Manzoor Ahmad was asked to investigate the case after the Langate and nearby villages observed complete shut down for about a week.

A police spokesman said that during the investigation about 16 suspected persons were rounded up by the police.

During the questioning four persons--Azhar Ahmad Mir alias Billa and Mohammad Sadiq Mir alias Saada Choor, Jehangir alias Jehangir Behari, son of Siraj Din resident of District Maida, West Bengal and Suresh Kumar alias Suresh Moochi, son of Sultam Ram, resident of District Junjnu, Rajasthan confessed their involvement in the crime.

Further investigation revealed that all the four accused were closely associated with each other for the past two years.

UNI