Kathua rape trial: Accused ready for narco test; next hearing on April 28

The Kathua rape and murder case trial, which began in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, will see its next hearing on April 28. The case is related to eight people allegedly holding an eight-year-old girl captive in a small village temple in the state's Kathua district for a week in January this year, sexually assaulting her, and then murdering her. The accused were ready to undergo narco tests, said their counsel. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will at 2 pm today hear the plea of the father of the Kathua rape victim to transfer the trial to Chandigarh. The Kathua rape case trials began a day after protests were staged in various parts of the country by citizens outraged by the heinous crime.

The accused in the Kathua case include a juvenile, against whom a separate charge sheet was filed. The juveline and the other accused will be facing separate trials. While seven of the accused perpetrators will be tried in the sessions court, the chief judicial magistrate of Kathua will hold the trial for the juvenile. The accused include four police officers and a retired government official.

After the Jammu Bar association and the Kathua Bar received a rap on the kuckles by the Supreme Court on April 13, as the apex court took a strong note of certain lawyers obstructing the judicial process in the case, the Kathua trial is expected to be conducted smoothly. However, the Supreme Court's actions in the matter and the Indian civil society's demand for justice in the Kathua case have not eased the challenges faced by the lawyer of the victim's family. The Kathua rape victim's lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat on Sunday said that she feared for her life as she might get raped or murdered. She added that she had been called anti-Hindu and boycotted socially.

Rahul's midnight protest at India Gate: Priyanka irked at unruly crowd

As Congress President led a midnight march at India Gate to protest against the incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua rape case, his sister Priyanka Gandhi was visibly miffed after she got pushed by the unruly crowd.

Huge crowd had gathered at the India Gate here on Thursday midnight to protest against the incidents of rape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh and Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.

Priyanka Gandhi was heard telling the crowd to respect the cause for which they gathered at the India Gate. She also appealed to the crowd to keep calm and march silently.

"Those who have come here to push people around must go home," she was heard saying.

Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra and her children (son and daughter) were also present.

Many were shouting slogans like "Modi Bhagao, Beti Bachao" as they held candles as a mark of protest.