Jammu, June 18 -- A child disappears; A body is found; An Outrage erupts; Leaders condemn, Arrests are made, Justice is promised and finally Memory expires.

Rattan Singh Gill

A child set out for darsgah and did not return. The distance between her home and where her body was found was reportedly around 200 metres. Civilisation, it turns out, can collapse within walking distance.

The brutal rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Budgam's Galwanpora has understandably convulsed Kashmir valley rather whole Jammu and Kashmir.

The political leaders condemned it. Religious leaders mourned it. Schoolchildren marched. Women protested. Social media demanded blood. "Hang the beast," became the collective refrain. The police moved with unusual...