I can be raped or killed: Lawyer of Kathua victim's family claims threat ahead of trial

The lawyer of the eight-year-old victim on Sunday said that she fears for her life as may get raped or murdered.

Deepika S Rajawat, who is the counsel of Kathua rape victim's family, alleged a threat to her life and said that she will tell the Supreme Court about the danger to her life.

"I don't know till when I will be alive. I might be raped, my modesty may be outraged, I may be killed, I might be damaged. I was threatened yesterday that 'we will not forgive you'. I am going to tell SC tomorrow that I am in danger," Rajawat said.

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2018

Earlier this week, Rajawat appeared on a television channel and alleged that she was threatened by Jammu Bar Association president BS Slathia from appearing in the case.

“I am not a member of the Jammu Bar Association. But on Wednesday, Slathia asked me to stay away from the case while I was going to the court. I am not answerable to him, I am only answerable to my client,” she told TV channels. 

“I am not scared, but I am not feeling safe either. Protesters (lawyers) are trying to put pressure on me so that I don’t fight for justice. But I will continue to fight Asifa’s case. I have full faith in the police investigation,” Rajawat added.

The trial in the gruesome Kathua rape and murder case will begin from Monday against eight accused who allegedly held an eight-year-old girl in captivity in a small village temple in Kathua district for a week in January this year during which she was kept sedated and sexually assaulted before being bludgeoned to death.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has appointed two special public prosecutors, both Sikhs, for the trial in the sensitive case, a move being seen as made to ensure "neutrality" in view of Hindu-Muslim polarisation over the case. 

The trial is expected to go smoothly after the Jammu Bar association as well as the  Kathua Bar received a rap on the kuckles by the Supreme Court on April 13 as the apex court took a strong note of some lawyers obstructing the judicial process in the case.

(With Inputs from Agencies)