Thaindian News

Srinagar, Aug 29 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir police Saturday announced a cash reward of Rs.20 lakh (Rs.2 million) for anyone providing information that would lead to the arrest of the culprits in the rape and murder of two women in Shopian district.
“Anyone providing information to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case of the culprits involved in the crime will be paid Rs.20 lakh. The name of the person providing the information will be kept confidential,” an advertisement published in leading dailies here said Saturday.

The SIT headed by a deputy inspector general of police has so far not been able to crack the case in which two young women were raped and killed, leading to widespread protests in the valley. The case is being monitored by a division bench of the state high court headed by Chief Justice Barin Ghosh.

The court Friday left it to the state government to decide whether or not to transfer the case to the CBI.

A single bench of the high court is also hearing the bail application of four police officers arrested last month on the orders of the court for destruction of evidence.

Two women, Nilofar Jan, 22, and her sister-in-law Asiya Jan, 17, were raped and murdered in south Kashmir’s Shopian district and their bodies were found by the side of a local stream outside the town May 30.

Four police officers, including then district police chief, a deputy superintendent of police, an inspector and a sub-inspector, were suspended and later arrested by the government for negligence of duty and destruction of vital evidence in the case that triggered a public outrage across the Valley.