Jammu, Sep 4 : A senior police official visited Chatroo in Kishtwar district on Thursday and reviewed the ongoing investigation into the rape and death case of a minor tribal girl, officials said.
Inspector General of Police (Crime) Sahara Rizvi visited the area in connection with the investigation and took stock of the progress made by the Crime Branch team, they said.
The Crime Branch has also conducted searches at the residences of the two accused brothers, Tariq Hussain and teacher Khalid Hussain, at Gurinal in Kishtwar, as part of the probe on Tuesday, they said.
According to officials, the 15 year old minor was allegedly raped by her school teacher Khalid Ahmed Sheikh over several months before she died during a pregnancy termination procedure at a hospital on August 20.
The investigating agency is collecting evidence, examining material and establishing the alleged roles of the accused and others connected with the case, besides piecing together the sequence of events leading to the girl's death, officials said.
The searches were conducted after the case was formally transferred to the Crime Branch by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on August 29 following widespread protests and demands from residents and various groups for an impartial and comprehensive investigation.
The police had earlier constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which arrested seven persons, including the main accused, his brother, two hospital sanitation workers and a nurse, in connection with an FIR registered at Chatroo police station under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act, the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In a related development, the services of a Hospital Development Fund (HDF) sanitation worker at District Hospital Kishtwar have been terminated with immediate effect following her arrest in the case on August 30.
The termination order said the hospital authorities had been formally informed about her arrest and noted that the allegations and nature of offences were "extremely grave and serious".
The continuation of the individual in service was "wholly incompatible with the discipline, integrity, reputation and functioning of a public health institution", the order said.
