A small temple somewhere in the middle of Rasana village in Kathua in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has become the focus of attention ever since it was reported that an eight-year-old girl was allegedly held captive and repeatedly raped inside the old structure by a group of eight men.
Located deep inside a dense jungle in the village, the ‘Devsthan’ temple or the holy place of worship for the Hindus living in and around Rasana is a tiny 300 sq ft prayer room with three doors.
According to the charge sheet filed by the state’s crime branch, it is here that the victim belonging to a Muslim nomadic community was confined for days and violated before being battered to death nearly three months ago.
The crime branch’s report also suggests that the family of the main accused, Sanji Ram possessed a set of keys to the temple.
A few villagers, have, however, cast their doubts over the police investigation.
While speaking to Hindustan Times, several locals from the village claimed they visited the temple during the days in question and their children played around the site.
One of the local women Anjana Sharma said, “the killers would be fools to hide a girl in there. At least a dozen devotees visit the temple every morning and evening.”
“For us, the temple is like Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. No one would dare defy our deity by committing such a crime there”, Anjana Sharma added.
Echoing similar sentiments are the families of the eight suspects who have demanded that the investigation of the case must be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The daughter of the alleged main accused, Sanji Ram told ANI that the case is a “conspiracy” that needs to be reinvestigated.
Meanwhile, fearing for their life, the family of the victim has abandoned the village.
