Budgam: Former chief minister and the president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday visited the Soibug area in this central Kashmir’s Budgam district to express condolences to the family of a 30-year-old woman who was brutally murdered a week ago, and hoped for fast-track proceedings in the trial and stern punishment for the perpetrator of the heinous crime.
Mufti while expressing grief and outrage over the incident said, “This is a heart-wrenching incident, I have no words. The entire area has been horrified. The police have done a great job and I hope fast action will be taken in this matter and the culprit should be severely punished as soon as possible so that this kind of incident does not happen again.”
Raising concerns about the rising violence against women, she said, “What was our way of life, where is it going, and where has it gotten to? These kinds of crimes now also occur in our society. I believe that there has been a lot of violence against women, so we should consider and take action to prevent it from getting worse.”
Mufti also raised the issue of domestic violence, which has prompted some women to commit suicide. “Domestic violence occurs in our households as well, and some women have killed themselves out of fear. Why are women killed so often? Why was this young woman killed?” she asked while urging the police to “act quickly to provide justice to the family”.
The horrific murder has sparked outrage across the valley, and the visit of several political leaders to the victim’s family shows the seriousness with which it is being viewed. Police said they are investigating the matter and have assured that the culprits will be brought to justice. (KNO)
