Three men have been convicted after they were found guilty of the rape, torture and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in the Indian-held province of Jammu and Kashmir last year.
The girl, from a nomadic Muslim community that lives in the Forests of Kashmir, was drugged, held captive in a temple and raped by several people for a week, before being strangled and pummelled to death with a stone in January last year. Her body was found three weeks later.
Investigators said that priest Sanjhi Ram, Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar planned and carried out the crimes.
The other three men – Surinder Kumar, Tilak Raj and Anand Dutta – convicted were given five years for tampering with evidence.
The seventh accused person, Ram’s son Vishal Jangotra, was acquitted from all charges due to lack of evidence.
The prosecution is seeking capital punishment for the three men and will re-petition the sentence, as well as the acquittal of Vishal Jangotra.
All of the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and a lawyer leading the legal team representing the accused, AK Sawhney, told reporters at the court that they planned to appeal the verdict.
The charge sheet for the case found that the treatment of the child was part of a plan to remove the minority Bakherwal Muslim nomads from the area.
Eight men, included the six convicts, were arrested last year, including a former government official, four policemen and a minor in connection with the case. Jangotra was acquitted and the minor will be charged separately.
The privately-held trial began a year ago in Pathankot, approximately 70 kilometres from Rasan village in Kathua district, where the incident happened.
The ruling sparked criticism of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as some of its MPs opposed the charges.
Ram is a Hindu priest, adding to the tensions of the Hindus and Muslims living in the region.
“This is a victory of truth,” prosecution lawyer M Farooqi told reporters outside the court. “The girl and her family has got justice today. We are satisfied with the judgment.”
Fomer Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the verdict, saying on Twitter that she felt “relieved”.
"Credit goes to crime branch team lead by IGP Mujtaba, SSP Jala, Addl SP Naveed, Dep SP Shwetambri ,@DeepikaSRajawat & Talib for ensuring facts came to light despite hindrances. People all across India too galvanised support & stood up for this child," she said.
Also on Twitter, K Surendran, the BJP State General Secretary for Kerala, said: “Finally Asifa gets justice and it strengthens common man's faith in the judiciary. But how long those victims in such cases in Kerala should wait for justice?”
Child sexual abuse is rife in India and government figures indicate that there has been a steady rise in offences against minors. A report from the National Crime Records Bureau released in December 2017 indicated that a child in India is sexually abused every 15 minutes. Most of the abusers are people known to the victims, such as parents, relatives and schoolteachers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
