...

Indian army orders probe into Kashmir rape allegation

Other News Materials 22 July 2011 17:16 (UTC +04:00)
The Indian army ordered a probe Friday after a young woman in India-administered Kashmir alleged that she had been abducted and raped by two soldiers
Indian army orders probe into Kashmir rape allegation

The Indian army ordered a probe Friday after a young woman in India-administered Kashmir alleged that she had been abducted and raped by two soldiers, news reports said.

Rukaya Bano, a 30-year-old married woman from Kashmir's Kulgam district has filed a report with the police saying she was abducted on Tuesday by two soldiers and held a hut for two days where she was repeatedly raped. The police are also investigating the case, DPA reported.

The allegation led to tension in the area with residents of several villages holding protest marches and chanting slogans against the army.

There has been a large troop presence in India-administered Kashmir since a violent insurgency broke out in the 1980s.

Soldiers have on occasion been accused of rights abuses and are often the target of anti-India protests by Kashmiris.

The disputed Himalayan region is claimed by both India and Pakistan which have fought three battles over it since their independence from British rule in 1947.

The Indian government has never released any figures, but according to unofficial estimates least 300,000 soldiers are posted in the region of which 70,000 are paramilitary troops.

Latest

Latest