Police lathicharge protesters demanding arrest of gang rape accused in J&K’s Kathua

Kathua/Jammu, Feb 24 (PTI) At least 10 persons including three women were briefly detained Monday amid baton charge by police to disperse a group of protesters demanding arrest of a third accused in a gang rape case of a minor in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, official sources said.

The protest was organized by Jan Jagriti Manch near Mukherjee Chowk in Kathua town against the alleged gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl belonging to the scheduled caste community, the sources said.

They said the girl’s family lodged a complaint with the police in January and subsequently two of the accused were arrested while a third is on the run and efforts are on to nab him.

The protesters blocked the main road and refused to disperse despite repeated requests by civil and police officers who assured them that they are making all out efforts to arrest the third culprit, the sources said.