Jammu, Sep 2: The Crime Branch on Wednesday raided the residence of the prime accused in the rape-and-death case of a 15-year-old tribal girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar, while authorities dismissed a second sanitation worker from the hospital in the case, officials said.

The case was handed over to the Crime Branch on August 29 following widespread condemnation and protests. A minor was raped allegedly by her school teacher over several months before she died during a pregnancy termination procedure on August 20.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of police has arrested a total of seven persons, including the main accused, his brother, two hospital sanitation workers and a nurse, in connection with an FIR registered at Chatroo police station under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act, BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The officials said a Crime Branch team raided the residence of the prime accused along with the house of his brother.

The raids were carried out as part of the ongoing investigation, with the team searching the premises to gather evidence and examine material that could establish the sequence of events and the alleged involvement of the accused, the officials said.

In a related development, the officials said the services of a hospital development fund (HDF) sanitation worker at district hospital Kishtwar, have been terminated with immediate effect following her arrest in the case on August 30.

“This office has been formally intimated about the said arrest…the allegations and the nature of the offences involved are of an extremely grave and serious nature, which have rendered the continuation of the said individual in service wholly incompatible with the discipline, integrity, reputation and functioning of a public health institution,” the order reads.–(PTI)