Minor Nomad Girl’s Rape in Jammu Sparks Outrage, Residents Protest

On January 4, a nomad family from Ramban, Jammu were caught unaware when a doctor at the hospital in Jammu informed them that their 12-year-old daughter was pregnant. On further investigation, it was revealed that the minor nomad girl was allegedly raped by a “group of locals” in Ramsoo area of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the reports, the girl was discharged after five days in the hospital.

Speaking with a local website, The Kashmirwalla, Abdul Gani Chowdhary, a relative of the girl said, “Three months ago, she was outside with their cattle when five persons from the same village surrounded her, and then one of them raped her. She had fallen unconscious and does not know how many times she was raped. When she regained consciousness, those men threatened that they will kill her and her family if she doesn’t keep the matter under shutters. She was quiet since then, but a few days ago, she told one of those five men that she was feeling unwell. Following which, he had given her some medicines which caused extreme bleeding.”

This episode of violence against a minor girl has attracted massive outrage in Ramsoo village, where the family lived. The incident was seen as reminiscent of the Kathua rape case which took place in January 2018, where an eight-year-old Bakarwal girl was allegedly raped by the locals of the village.  As per the reports, the victim’s family is the only Muslim family in the village populated by twenty-thirty non-Muslim families. As the incident became public, locals gathered to protest.

Also Read: One Year Later, Kathua Rape Victim’s Family Still Lives the Horror

A case has been filed by the victim’s mother at the Ramsoo police station on January 4. The police have arrested a local Sanju Singh, son of Gaja Singh of Vernal village in Ramsoo. Anita Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Ramban told NewsClick, “Yes, we received a complaint by the mother of the victim. She was admitted to a hospital after which it was revealed that she was pregnant. Right now, we have arrested a guy named Sanju. We are looking into the matter and will take actions accordingly.”

Locals are seeing such rape cases as an attempt to dislodge Muslims from the Jammu region. A local, on condition of anonymity said, “Rape is rape and we don’t want to put communal undertones to it. But for a long time, there has been an attempt to dislodge Muslims. Such rape cases make us anxious about our daughters and their future. First it was Kathua, and now it is this case. It is very scary. I cannot even imagine what she must have gone through.”

The Kashmirwalla quoted the father of the victim as saying, “After what they have done to my daughter, if there is any justice in this world, I want that for my daughter. If not, kill me along with her.” As per the reports, the victim belonged to a poor and uneducated family.

Read More: Anti-Encroachment Drive in Jammu, an Attempt to Drive Out Muslims?