Kishtwar: Minor Tribal Girl Dies After Abortion Bid, Headmaster Arrested

Tensions ran high in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Friday after a minor tribal girl died late Thursday night following a failed abortion attempt. The girl, a student at a government school, was allegedly raped by the school's headmaster over several months, leading to her pregnancy.

Police have arrested the headmaster and his brother. The accused headmaster has been suspended by the education department, which has also initiated an enquiry. Kishtwar SSP Naresh Singh confirmed that an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to a local tribal leader, the girl had been complaining of stomach pain for a fortnight. A test at a primary health centre revealed she was seven months pregnant. The girl then told her parents about the headmaster, who allegedly offered them money and threatened them to stay silent. The father reportedly did not approach the police fearing social stigma.

On Wednesday, the accused and his brother took the girl to a facility in Kishtwar for an abortion. After a check-up, she was referred to a nearby town where surgery was attempted to induce childbirth. Her condition deteriorated during the delivery, and the accused decided to take her and the stillborn child towards Jammu. She died en route near Udhampur on Thursday night.

The accused then arranged a private ambulance to bring both bodies back to the village, triggering protests. A complete bandh was observed in the area, and demonstrations spread to other parts of the district after Friday prayers, with demands for a judicial enquiry.

The FIR includes charges of criminal conspiracy, rape of a minor, causing death by an act intended to cause miscarriage, and causing the death of an unborn child, along with several sections of the POCSO Act.