Srinagar, May 25 (IANS) Widespread grief, shock, and anger gripped Kashmir on Monday following the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district.

A pall of gloom descended on the entire Valley as the news about the rape and murder of the minor girl spread like wildfire. The body of the victim was found on Sunday, barely 200 metres away from her home in the Galwanpora area of Budgam.

The girl went missing on May 23 when she was reportedly on her way to the ‘Darsgah’ (Children’s seminary for religious education).

The shocking crime happened when Muslims in the Valley and the rest of the World are preparing to celebrate the holiest festival of Eid-ul-Azha or the Bakr Eid that marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. Police in Budgam district have registered FIR No 139/2026 and said that prima facie, it is a case of kidnapping, rape and murder. Local suspects are currently being questioned.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha held consultations with the Director General of Police (DGP) and senior officials on the incident. He issued strict directives for a comprehensive, time-bound probe, promising that the perpetrators would face exemplary punishment.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on X, “The tragic murder of a young pre-teen girl in Budgam district of Central Kashmir is both shocking & deeply distressing. While the appropriate agencies enquire into the circumstances of her murder, it’s also fitting that we reflect on where we as a society are headed when our young children are not safe. I condemn this brutal attack without reservation or condition & send my sympathies to her family. May she find a place in Jannat. My government will support the agencies to the fullest extent possible to ensure exemplary punishment is given to those found guilty”.

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, “Devastated to hear about the cold-blooded murder of a 12-year-old girl in Budgam. The allegations of rape just make it all the more shocking, disconcerting & unsettling. One shudders at the thought if our children are really safe”.

Syed Altaf Bukhari, president of Apni Party, condemned the incident, saying, “The tragic incident in Budgam, where a 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered, is deeply heartbreaking. Only a beast could commit such a heinous act. It is a heart-wrenching tragedy that has shaken everyone. Those involved must face the harshest punishment, and justice must be delivered without delay. In this moment of immense grief, one can only pray to Almighty Allah to grant the victim’s parents and other family members the much-needed strength to endure this unimaginable and inconsolable loss”.

Kashmir’s chief cleric and senior religious leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said, “Heartbroken and deeply disturbed by the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl in Budgam, who went missing while on her way to the Darsgah. The circumstances surrounding this incident are extremely painful and have shaken the conscience of every human being. What are we becoming as a society if our children cannot even feel safe on their way to seek education and guidance? Such incidents spread fear, grief and deep anxiety among people and demand serious introspection at every level. A thorough, transparent and time-bound investigation must be carried out, and those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice and given the strictest punishment under law. May Allah grant the innocent child the highest place in Jannat and give patience and strength to her grieving family”.

J&K Education Minister, Sakeena Itoo, visited the grieving family to extend condolences and assure them of fast-track government assistance.

A 5-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Budgam to probe all angles of the crime.

–IANS

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