Govt hands over investigation of Kathua girl murder case to Crime Branch

Jammu: The government on Tuesday disclosed that it has handed over the case of murder of eight-year-old Kathua girl Asifa Bano to the Crime Branch of Jammu & Kashmir police
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri here on Tuesday told legislative assembly that in connection with the murder of minor girl, the case has been handed over to Crime Branch.
Veeri said the agency will start a fresh probe into the incident. Bano, a girl from Gujjar-Bakerwal community, was abducted on January 10 when she had gone to search for a mule owned by her family. Her body was recovered on the outskirts of her native village on January 17.
Immediately after Veeri announced the decision in legislative assembly the Crime Branch of constituted a five-member team headed by Additional Superintendent of Police of Crime Branch to investigate the minor girl’s murder in Jammu’s Kathua district. “The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Peerzada Naveed Additional SP Crime Branch Kashmir is hereby constituted for carrying out further investigation of the case. The team should finalize the investigation expeditiously and submit progress reports to this office on regular basis,” said an order issued by Additional Director General of Police, State Crime Branch Headquarters, J&K, Jammu.
The team will comprise Nissar Hussain Dy SP Crime Branch Jammu, Shetambari Sharma Dy Sp Crime Branch Jammu, Urfan Wani SI Crime Branch Jammu and ASI Tariq Ahmed No 118/CR of P/S CBK.
The development came after the government said that it has handed over the case of murder of eight-year-old Asifa Bano in Kathua district last week to the Crime Branch.
Her death has triggered protests inside and outside the Assembly, with protesters and the opposition seeking action against the police for “not making efforts” to trace her after she was abducted.
In a damage-control move, the government has suspended the local SHO for his laxity in dealing with the case.