2018 Kathua rape-murder | Brutal rape, murder of nomadic girl: High Court refuses to suspend convict's sentence

The court, however, directed the registry to list Ram's main appeal against conviction for final hearing in September this year given the fact that he has already spent a substantial amount of time in custody

Srinagar: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to suspend the life sentence of Sanji Ram, the main accused in the 2018 Kathua rape and murder case, holding that he does not deserve the “concession of suspension of sentence at this stage”.

A bench of Justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Ramesh Kumari, in an order dated March 6, said it was not inclined to grant interim relief without commenting on the merits of the case.

The court, however, directed that Ram’s appeal against conviction be listed for final hearing in September, noting he has already spent over eight years in custody.

Ram, a former temple caretaker, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Pathankot court in 2019 along with Parvesh Kumar and special police officer Deepak Khajuria.

The case relates to the abduction, rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from the nomadic Bakerwal community in Kathua in January 2018.

According to the Crime Branch chargesheet, the child was kidnapped on January 10, confined inside a village temple, sedated and repeatedly raped over several days before being killed. Investigators said the crime was part of a conspiracy to terrorise the community and force them to leave the area.

The brutality of the crime and the alleged motive triggered nationwide outrage, but the case also became deeply polarised. In Jammu, protests were held in support of the accused, with lawyers and right-wing groups demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Attempts were even made to block the filing of the chargesheet, prompting intervention by the Supreme Court of India, which later shifted the trial to Pathankot to ensure a fair hearing.

The controversy escalated politically when two ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party attended rallies backing the accused, leading to their resignation and straining the PDP-BJP coalition government.

The Kathua case unfolded alongside the Unnao rape case, where a minor accused a sitting BJP MLA of rape. Both cases sparked nationwide protests and raised questions over political responses to sexual violence.

Facing mounting outrage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on April 13, 2018, saying such crimes “cannot be part of any civilised society” and assuring that “no culprit will be spared” and justice would be delivered.

In the High Court, Ram’s counsel argued that despite over 100 prosecution witnesses, no conclusive evidence established his role and that he had already undergone substantial incarceration. Opposing the plea, the prosecution said the testimonies and circumstances clearly established his complicity in a “heinous” crime.

Rejecting the plea, the High Court has now paved the way for a final hearing later this year in a case that remains one of the most disturbing and politically charged criminal trials in recent years.