Punjab: Security heightened outside Pathankot court ahead of verdict in Kathua rape-murder case https://t.co/XaCdsSMnKd — ANI (@ANI) 1560137639000

CHANDIGARH: The verdict in the infamous Kathua gang rape-cum-murder case will be delivered in the court of district and sessions judge Pathankot , Tejwinder Singh, on Monday.An eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community was kidnapped on January 10, 2018 and allegedly gang raped in captivity in a village temple in Kathua district , according to the J&K police chargesheet. She was later killed by the accused.On May 7 last year, the Supreme Court shifted the trial to Pathankot, which is around 26 km from Kathua as the case had led to mass protests and triggered political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir over investigation report filed by the J&K police.The trial of the case began in Pathankot on May 31, 2018 on a day-to-day basis. Seven accused were tried in the case in the Pathankot court, including Sanjhi Ram, a retired revenue officer; Tilak Raj, a sacked head constable of Jammu and Kashmir police; and Sanjhi Ram’s son Vishal. In July 2018, the top court had ordered the transfer of the accused in the case from Kathua Jail to Gurdaspur Jail, citing exceptional circumstances of the case.