Trail of juvenile in Kathua gang rape and murder case from Monday

A juvenile justice board has framed charges against a minor in the case of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old nomadic girl in Kathua and has fixed Monday for examining prosecution witnesses and commencing trial.

According to an order served to the Crime Branch here, officials have been asked to bring in their prosecution evidence and witnesses for the trial to begin.

The order has left the prosecution baffled as the crime branch contested before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court last year that he is not a minor. The case has seen only adjournments till date.

According to the notice, the charges were framed against the accused by the Juvenile Justice Board Kathua on July 8 and "the next date of hearing has been fixed on July 15".

"The case has been fixed for prosecution evidence... Kindly arrange the presence of public prosecutor appointed in the case so as to examine the prosecution evidence/ witnesses," it said.

The juvenile is accused of raping and murdering the young girl.

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