MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 18: AJK Inspector General Police Shahid Hasan has said that culprits involved in the recent criminal assault on a teenage girl in the Bhimber district would be charged soon in court.

Referring to the rape of the 17-year old student of Class X allegedly by accused Qurban, 42, Tariq, 22, and Riyasat, 17 of Jat tribe. He said a case had been registered against them by PS Choki on the report of the victim's father.

The girl, according to the FIR, was returning home from her school in Sahar village when the accused intercepted her and took her to a deserted place where they assaulted her at gunpoint. They also threatened her with "dire consequences" if she told anyone about their crime.

The girl was speechless when she reached home but her mother noticed her blood stained clothes and came to know of the incident from her daughter. However, since the father of the victim was in Rawalpindi the family could not approach the PS to lodge a complaint, which was registered subsequently on return of her father. Besides absence of her father, extremely bad weather in the area was also a reason for the delay in lodging the FIR, a police official said.

SECURITY: Law-enforcement agencies in Azad Kashmir will take "all precautionary measures" for the smooth movement of busses between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar, AJK police chief Shahid Hasan said on Thursday.

"We will take all precautionary measures so that the bus moves between the two parts smoothly and without any disturbance," he told Dawn. "Police will ensure that no elements take any step that could pose a threat to the service," he said.

The IG said had not heard that any element was opposed to the move. "Nevertheless, we will be on a look out to prevent any untoward incident," he said. Police would chalk out a security plan in consultation with the government for the service, he said.