The family of the eight-year-old Kathua rape and murder victim had reportedly decided to drop their lawyer Deepika Rajawat as she has barely been available during court proceedings, the victim’s father said.
An application was moved in the Pathankot court in Punjab which states that the power of attorney given in her favour was being withdrawn.
According to victim’s father, Rajawat had appeared only 2-3 times in the case even as it is proceeding day to day as per the Supreme Court’s order for the last five months at Pathankot.
Rajawat had shot to fame after she fought the case initially in spite of having received threats from various parties.
However, in her recent interview she had expressed fears about threats to her life. A section of population in Jammu had opposed her decision to take up the case.
I am sure they will kill me one day. I feel threatened that my family or I might be harmed physically. Also, I feel my attempts will be made to damage my dignity,” she had said in an interview.
In another interview, she had said that even if her community disowned, she wanted justice in the case.
Now it seems that the threats have finally made it difficult for her to continue.
The victim in the infamous Kathua rape and murder case was kidnapped on January 10 and raped in captivity at a small village temple before being bludgeoned to death. The rape and murder triggered a global outrage, leading even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promise justice to the “our daughters”.
Supreme Court, on the plea of the victim’s father, shifted the case to Pathankot and ordered day-to-day in-camera trial to ensure a speedy justice. The trial began on May 31. There are 226 witnesses in the case mentioned by the CB in its charge sheet.
