SRINAGAR: The latest revelations in the horrific case of rape and murder of an eight-year-old Asifa Bano, belonged to the nomadic Muslim Bakarwal community who was abducted on January 10 and held captive in a temple and raped before being strangled, has triggered communal tensions and protests in Indian held Kashmir.

According to reports, In January, eight-year-old Asifa went missing when she was grazing her horses in Harinagar district of Indian occupied Kashmir, and days after her abduction her body smeared with blood was found in the forest that led to widespread anger in the valley.

On the other hand  Asifa's murder has led to widespread anger on social media, where the hashtag #JusticeforAsifa was one of the top trending topics worldwide.

Actors and cricketers were among those demanding the murderers' arrest and justice in the case.

While grazing her horses in Harinagar district of Indian occupied Kashmir Asifa lost track. She enquired about their whereabouts from people nearby, when a man offered to help and took her to a nearby forest with his accomplice.

When She sensed danger, Asifa tried to flee but one of the men grabbed the minor by her neck and forced her to swallow sedatives. The girl was dragged to a nearby temple, Devistan, and locked inside, the police said.

For the next three days, the two men tied the minor and took turns to rape her over and over before strangling her to death, according to the full text of charge sheet shared on First Post.

The case which initially seemed to be an isolated, heinous episode of sexual violence has escalated communal tensions in IoK.

Over the course of the investigation, the police have arrested eight men in the case and several have confessed to the crime. The custodian of the Devistan temple, Sanji Ram, has been labelled as ‘the mastermind’ behind the plot. The accused also includes police officers who confessed to having accepted thousands of dollars to cover up the crime, reported Times of India.

While the Bakarwals and others demand justice for Asifa, Hindu nationalists have jumped into the defence of the accused. WhileIndia’s dominant political force, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, are pushing to have the case taken out of the hands of the state police, arguing that the Central Bureau of Investigation would be a more neutral agency to handle it.