KL Report
SRINAGAR
Police Friday arrested a tipper driver and his two associates for allegedly murdering and raping a 21 year old girl in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Divulging information about the brutal incident SSP Pulwama Tajindar Singh told CNS that Muhammad Ramzan Bhat a resident of Wanpora, Newa Pulwama had lodged a missing report about her daughter on November 26 in police station Kakapora. He said that Bhat’s daughter was working in a Pencil Factory located at Okho Kakapora and had gone missing on Nov 26.
“We were informed by eyewitnesses that the girl had sought a lift from a tipper driver to reach her destination after completing her day’s assignment at the factory. We were able to crack the case after the victim’s body carrying torture marks was recovered by police from a deserted place at Khandey Mohalla Nowgam area in Budgam district,” SSP Pulwama said.
He added that police had zeroed in on all tipper drivers plying on Pulwama-Pampora route and during the course of interrogation, it came to fore that the victim had sought lift from one Zahoor Ahmed Bhat son of Muhammad Sultan resident of Kujru Budgam. The accused during interrogation reveled that he raped the girl and dumped her body with the help of his two associates later on.
“Zahoor Ahmed Bhat revealed that he parked his tipper at a secluded place and raped the victim. When the victim objected, the accused sling a rope around her neck and choked her breath. The accused in a bid to dump the dead body sought help from his two friends who also have been arrested by police,” Singh said and identified the two associates of the main accused as Sahab Khan son of Ahad Khan resident of Kujro Budgam and Irshad Matoo son of Nazir Ahmed, a resident of Kishrigam Kakapora.
SSP Pulwama said that medical report has confirmed the rape and a formal case has been registered against the culprits.
Meanwhile, the residents of Wanpora staged protests against the gruesome act and demanded stringent punishment for the culprits. The area observed a complete shutdown.
