Jammu Bar takes U-turn, to hold candle light march for Asifa evening, demands compensation for victim’s family

Jammu: Jammu bar association spearheading an agitation to demand CBI probe into Asifa rape-and-murder case has taken a U-turn by demanding compensation for Asifa’s family and deciding to hold candlelight march in her memory.
The sudden change of heart comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Asifa incident was shameful and vowed to punish her rapists and killers.
A spokesman of the bar, in a statement, said that the members would hold a candlelight march procession from District Court complex Janipur to Ambphala at 6 pm Saturday “in memory of the victim and to pay respectful homage to the departed soul”.
He said this was decided in a meeting chaired by B S Salathia yesterday, in which measures were discussed to intensify the ongoing agitation.
“Mr Salathi and other office bearers were of the opinion that the state government has miserably failed to protect the family of the rape victim in the Rasana rape-and-murder case,” said the spokesman.
Salathia, he said, urged the state government to provide adequate monetary compensation to the family of the victim in order to provide immediate relief and succuour.
He also demanded immediate protection to the life and property of the victim family.
The spokesman said that it was reiterated in the meeting that demanding CBI investigation into the case doesn’t tantamount to shielding the real accused. “…but the real intention was to provide justice to the victim by fair and independent probe.”