Four held for nomadic woman's 'rape-murder' in J&K

SRINAGAR: J&K Police Monday arrested four men for the alleged rape and murder of a nomadic woman — a mother of two — the previous day near Nishat, on the outskirts of Srinagar. The crime triggered widespread outrage, with political parties and religious leaders demanding the harshest possible punishment for the culprits.

The woman — in her forties — was grazing her goats on Sunday afternoon when the accused allegedly raped her and assaulted her severely when she tried to resist. Left grievously injured in the attack, she was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead, police said.

Cops subsequently registered an FIR and arrested the four suspects — Suhail Bashir Bhat, Adil Ali, Firdous Ahmad Rather, and Suhail Afzal Bhat. They were allegedly inebriated at the time of the crime.

“A tribal woman, mother to two sons, while grazing her goats is tied to a tree and raped by drunk men. Her family finds her mercilessly beaten… The culprits must be brought to task for this blood-curdling crime,” PDP’s Iltija Mufti stated in an X post.

Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti said she was left shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy. “Reports suggested she suffered brutal injuries and succumbed en route to the hospital. Police have arrested the accused, who were reportedly intoxicated during the crime. Substance abuse, particularly alcohol and drugs, is devastating our youth and fuelling horrific crimes like rape and murder. This tragedy reflects a broader societal crisis,” Mehbooba wrote on X.