Handwara row: Girl refutes mother’s claim of molestation

The girl along with her father was presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Handwara last evening and her statement was recorded, police said in a statement.

In her statement before the Judicial Magistrate she reveals that on Tuesday, after school hours while proceeding to her home along with her friends she entered a public lavatory near main chowk Handwara.

“As soon as she came out of the lavatory, she was confronted, assaulted and dragged by two boys and her bag was snatched among whom one boy was in school uniform,” the police said.

The cops presented the girl before the Chief Judicial Magistrate following orders by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Saturday following a petition filed by the girl’s mother. 

The petition sought the release of the girl, her father and aunt who were under police after violent protests broke out in Handwara town.

The girl’s mother on Saturday claimed that her daughter, who is 16 years old, was pressurised into making the statement that had exonerated the army personnel of the molestation charge.

“The production of the girl along with her father before the CJM also complies with the order of the High Court,” the police statement said. 

Three persons were killed in security forces firing on protestors in Handwara town on Tuesday.

Another youth was killed in Drugmulla area of Kupwara during protests against the Handwara incident a day later. 

In fresh violence on Friday, 18-year-old Arif Hussain Dar was killed while three others sustained bullet injuries when the Army opened fire to disperse stone-pelting protestors outside a camp in Nathnusa area of Kupwara, 100 kms from here.