Muslim clerics and leaders have endorsed the demand of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to implement the Shariah in view of the rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora.
Muslim cleric Sajid Rashidi said: "In Sharia law, there are two punishments for rape -- a married man has a different punishment as compared to an unmarried man. Sharia law says, a married man should be stoned to death in public for a rape. An unmarried man should be belted 100 times publicly."
A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a local boy in Bandipora district. Police have arrested the accused, identified as Tahir Ahmad Mir (20).
"In India, there was a heinous gangrape case in 2012 and that was a precursor for a tough law. Rapes have not yet stopped. I'm not saying that Sharia law should be imposed but there should definitely be a stricter law for crimes like rape," he said.
Mehbooba had earlier tweeted where she expressed horror at the morbidity of the event that took place in Bandipora.
She tweeted: "Mortified to hear about the rape of a 3-year-old girl in Sumbal. What kind of a sick pervert would do this? Society often blames women for inviting unwanted attention but what was this child's fault? Times like these, Shariah law seems apt so that such pedophiles are stoned to death."
JDU leader GM Shaheen said: "In the history of Kashmir, there were not many cases of rape, but these crimes are increasing now. We demand the strictest of actions against such crimes as per the Constitution."
An FIR under Section 363/342/376 of IPC has been registered in this connection at Sumbal police station.