Governor NN Vohra on Monday accepted resignation of the two BJP ministers who had participated in a rally in support of the accused in rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua.
“The Governor has been pleased to accept the resignation of (i) Mr. Chander Parkash Ganga as Minister for Industries & Commerce and (ii) Ch. Lal Singh, Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment with immediate effect,” reads a notification issued by the government. On Sunday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had accepted the resignations of the two ministers received by her from BJP state Chief Sat Sharma. The resignations were forwarded to Governor N N Vohra for completing the procedural formalities, they said. In Kathua, an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community disappeared near her house on January 10.
A week later, her body was found in the same area. A Special Investigation Team, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destroying evidence The charge sheet stated that the girl was gang-raped inside a temple, where she was confined using sedatives. The accused then strangled and hit her on the head twice with a stone.