Handwara molestation: Focus shifts on two youth named by girl in her statement

Focus has now shifted on the two youths, who are at the center of storm for allegedly 'assaulting and dragging' the Handwara schoolgirl after she came out of the washroom on April 12.

Police have arrested 25-year-old Hilal Ahmad Banday aka Mohammad Iqbal Banday after he surrendered before the police on April 18, days after he was named by the school girl in a video released by the army.

Massive manhunt has been launched to track down the second unidentified youth in school uniform who instigated the crowd against the army.

Police have booked Hilal under section 509 and 354 of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). The girl had identified Hilal as the person who allegedly slapped her when she was confronted by a mob after rumors spread that she was molested allegedly by an army trooper

Later, in her statement before the Judicial Magistrate she stated she was confronted, assaulted and dragged by two boys and her bag snatched as soon as she came out of lavatory.

Violent protests had rocked Handwara Township on April 12 after locals alleged that a girl was molested by the army trooper when she entered into a public washroom. Five people were later killed in the security forces firing on the protestors at different places across Kupwara district.

The family of Hilal however has denied his role in the molestation row that rocked the north Kashmir township.

Hailing from a well-off family, Hilal is youngest of the three brothers who own the biggest showroom of hardware and plywood in the Handwara Township.

"On the day of the incident Hilal was busy at the shop as usual. He reached to the spot after 10 minutes of the incident and that too when crowds had gathered. Since they (girl and her family) are our neighbours, he intervened to save her and send her home. There was no question of slapping the girl. She is like our sister,"Bilal Ahmad Banday, brother of Hilal, told dna.

Bilal said his brother went to the police station on his own after they came calling. "Hilal is innocent. Police came to our home. But our brother went on his own to the police station because he knows he is innocent and has nothing to hide," he said.

The family is now hoping that Hilal will be granted bail in couple of days. "We have moved a bail application and hopefully he will be free soon. In fact the father of the girl is a very good man and we have very good relations with him", said Bilal.

Police said efforts are on to track down the unidentified boy in school uniform to unravel the conspiracy behind the Handwara unrest.

"The boy (Hilal) must be in custody. I have no idea (about the second boy) because I am in Jammu", said Uttam Chand, deputy inspector general of police, north Kashmir range.

Meanwhile, the Handwara schoolgirl and her father was presented before the J&K State Women's Commission (SWC) at Srinagar on Friday.