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Jammu: The Supreme Court on Monday shifted the trial of the Kathua gangrape-and-murder case to Pathankot in Punjab and rejected a petition to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The victim's father had alleged threat to life and pleaded for shifting the trial to Chandigarh. The plea of handing over the probe to CBI was made by the accused.

The trial shall be held in-camera, fast-tracked and conducted on a daily basis so that there is no delay, ordered a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. Earlier, the SC had cleared that it would transfer the case from the local court if there was the "slightest possibility" of lack of fair trial.

The father of the victim had yesterday said that he had a full faith in the judiciary. The SC also said the trial would be as per the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code, which is applicable in Jammu and Kashmir. The court also said the trial must be fair to the victim's family as well as the accused.

The family members of the victim and lawyer representing them will continue to get security, further said the bench also comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra. "The security provided to the juvenile accused will continue."

The SC also ordered translation of statements as well as records of the case from the Urdu language to English.

On January 10, the victim, an eight-year-old girl, had gone missing from near her home in a village near Kathua. Her body was found in the horrific condition from the same area a week later.