Srinagar, May 25: A day after the body of the raped and murdered Budgam child was found, the family is clamouring for answers, demanding exemplary punishment to the perpetrator of the crime.
The entire neighborhood of the brutally assaulted and killed child remained drowned in grief and anger, seeking speedy investigation and action.
The house of the victim was inundated by people visiting for condolences and mourning.
Her mother has been passing out from grief, and is barely conscious, the neighbors reported.
Her father has also been unable to speak, devastated by the tragic and shocking end to the life of his only daughter.
The grandfather of the murdered child victim of rape and murder, while speaking to a media outlet, asked what she had done to deserve being killed in such a manner.
“The killer went on to take an innocent life like this. She had gone for Quran, what had she done to him that he didn’t even let her reach her seminary?” the shaken grandfather asked.
The grandfather lamented that even at such a young age, the child prayed five times a day.
“She would wake up for Fajr too, was very religious minded, and then a tyrant assaulted her like this,” he cried.
The grandfather said that the entire clan was looking for her when she did not return home at her usual time.
He said he could not “fathom courage” to look at her dead body.
Media reports quoted the uncle of the murdered child as saying that the family searched for her the entire night.
“In morning we found her body,” he said. “It seems she was badly assaulted as her fists were clenched tight and there was grass in her hands.”
The uncle said he saw injury marks on the face of the child and signs of heartless criminal assault.
A mourner, who appeared to be of the age of the child said the victim used to say she wants to be a Hafiza (remember entire Quran by heart).
“Her dream was cut short, and the funeral of our collective dignity is underway,” she rued.
While the Police claimed that one person, who as per the Police also confessed to the crime, has been arrested, demands have been pouring in for fool-proof investigation and exemplary punishment to the criminal.
SSP Budgam, Hariprasad K K said the Police was working in the best possible manner to collect evidence and make the case strong in order to ensure that the guilty are punished.
