Fifty days after taking over the investigation into the alleged rape and death of a minor tribal girl in the Chatroo area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, the Crime Branch Jammu has filed a chargesheet running into 1,000 pages against 15 accused in the case, which has sent shockwaves across the Union Territory.
The chargesheet was presented before the Munsiff Judge, Kishtwar, who is holding charge as the Principal District and Sessions Judge in the absence of the regular presiding judge, who is on leave.
The case was handed over to the Crime Branch on August 29 following widespread protests and public condemnation.
According to officials, the minor was allegedly sexually exploited by her schoolteacher over several months before she died on August 20 during a pregnancy termination procedure.
According to information available, 12 accused remain in jail, while three others have been granted bail in connection with allegations of failing to report the matter to the police. Two other accused, identified as drivers Raiz Ahmed and Abid Hussain, are yet to be arrested.
The investigation is reportedly continuing, and a supplementary chargesheet could be filed in the coming weeks. The Crime Branch has not disclosed the identity of the biological father of the newborn delivered by the minor.
The accused include Khalid Hussain, the in-charge headmaster of Government Middle School, Bumalpora, Gorinal, who is accused of sexually exploiting the minor; Sonika Parihar, an NHM-associated staff nurse; Zareena Begum, a hospital sanitation worker; and Peer Baksh Bumal, a local community leader from Udil, Chatroo.
Other accused include Tariq Hussain, Farooq Ahmed, Gh. Qadir Sheikh, Noor Din and Mohd. Ishaq. Their alleged roles relate to procuring medicines, facilitating arrangements, providing transportation or attempting to suppress information about the incident.
The investigation has also named Abdul Latief Bhanday, a teacher posted at Middle School Majhor, and Haroon Mir, a medical shop owner accused of illegally operating a shop on the premises of Primary Health Centre (PHC), Chatroo.
The precise allegations against each accused will have to be established by the prosecution before the court. Their inclusion in the investigation does not, by itself, establish guilt.
Raiz Ahmed and Abid Hussain, both drivers, remain absconding, according to the information available, and are yet to be arrested. Their status is distinct from that of the accused against whom the chargesheet has been filed.
Three accused, including two doctors, were reportedly granted bail in proceedings concerning allegations of failing to report the matter to the police. Manzoor Ahmed Bumal was also reported to have secured bail on similar allegations after furnishing surety bonds.
Earlier, the Principal Sessions Court, Kishtwar, had rejected the regular bail applications of staff nurse Sonika Parihar, hospital sanitation worker Zareena Begum and community leader Peer Baksh Bumal.
The prosecution had cited the gravity of the allegations, the alleged roles of the accused and concerns about possible witness intimidation or interference with evidence.
An important unanswered question concerns the biological paternity of the newborn delivered by the minor. The Crime Branch has not disclosed the identity of the biological father in the information available so far.
Biological samples were reportedly collected during the investigation. However, any conclusion regarding paternity would need to be supported by verified forensic findings and official investigative records.
The case was initially registered as FIR No. 34/2026 at Police Station Chatroo following the minor's death on August 20, 2026. It was subsequently transferred to the Crime Branch's Special Crime Wing, Jammu, and re-registered as FIR No. 27/2026.
The case involves allegations of sexual exploitation of a minor, an attempt to terminate her advanced pregnancy outside an authorised medical setting, alleged lapses in medical treatment and attempts to prevent the matter from reaching law-enforcement authorities.
The chargesheet reportedly runs into more than 1,000 pages and lists 143 witnesses. The accused face charges under applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012; and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
With the chargesheet filed, the case will now proceed through the judicial process. Further investigative developments, including a possible supplementary chargesheet, may follow. The guilt or innocence of the accused will ultimately be determined by the competent court on the basis of the evidence presented during the trial.
