New Delhi, July 5: The accused charged in the brutal gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakerwal community girl in Jammu & Kashmir's Kathua district will be tried as an adult, the victim's lawyers told news agency PTI on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Parvesh Kumar alias 'Mannu', is one of the eight men held in connection to the rape-murder case. While others were being tried in the Pathankot District and Sessions Court, the case against him was being heard in the Kathua Juveniles Court as the defence counsel had submitted his matriculation certificate which proved him to be a minor.

However, based on the victim's counsel's plea, the Pathankot court ordered a a bone ossification test of Kumar to ascertain his exact age. The test report, submitted on Tuesday, said the accused is 20 years old.

Citing the test report, the Pathankot court on Thursday said he would be tried as an adult alongside the other seven accused.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel has moved a separate plea accusing the Jammu & Kashmir crime branch of torturing Kumar on June 23, forcing him to turn an "approver".

The crime branch has rejected the charge calling it a ploy to derail the prosecution.

About Kathua gang-rape murder case

A minor girl belonging to the Muslim nomadic community was abducted on January 17 when she was grazing a horse in the forests of Kathua. The victim was detained by the abductors in a temple and raped on numerous occasions over the subsequent eight days, the police chargesheet claims.

After sexually assaulting her, the accused strangulated the girl to death. Her head was bludgeoned to ensure she was dead.

The 5,600-page report filed by the J&K Crime Branch named eight accused, apart from two police officials - Sub Inspector Anand Dutta and Head Constable Tilak Raj - who attempted to destroy the evidence in a bid to save the accused.

The incident sparked massive protests after the Kathua Bar Council attempted to top the J&K Police from filing the chargesheet in the district court.

Politicians affiliated to the BJP, including the then State Cabinet Minister Lal Singh Chaudhary was seen in the rally led by right-wing activists accusing the police of deliberately "framing" the accused belonging to the "Hindu community".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2018 06:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).