Governor Satya Pal Malik has ordered the J&K Police to carry out a speedy probe into the alleged rape of a three year old from Bandipora that has put the entire Kashmir on the boil. On its part, the J&K police have formed a special investigations team headed by a deputy superintendent of police to probe the matter. Not to be left behind, the judiciary has also stepped in and asked the investigation agency to file a status report about the horrifying incident which is threatening to tear apart the social fabric of our state. However, some facts need to be put into public domain. While the media has been reporting that the victim has been raped, no official has come on record to say this. The medical report of the victim also remains elusive for journalists. If there is proof of this, and we do not doubt its existence, it needs to be put into public domain so that certain misconceptions that are prevalent in the society and which are being used by vested interests to create a sectarian divide in the Valley are buried once and for all. Police have also claimed that the accused, who has been arrested in the case, is being treated as a major as part of the investigation, although no proof has been furnished to support that claim. In fact, a local school had issued a certificate to the accused according to which he is a minor. However, showing no regard to the certificate, police have detained the school principal and he is being questioned to determine the basis on which the certificate has been issued. This has only created further confusion about the case. These questions need to be answered by the investigation agency so that people can remain assured about the impartiality of the probe. At a societal level, the cry is unanimous. Cutting across political and religious divides, people have condemned the ghastly incident in one voice: the victim needs to be rehabilitated and the perpetrator must be brought to book as soon as possible and an example made out of him to prevent such cases in future. While the clouds of uncertainty continue to hover over the accused’s age, many people have demanded exemplary punishment for him. Regardless, a degree of restraint needs to be exercised by us all. Instead of turning into mobs, normal life must be allowed to go on. Unless the investigation agencies complete their probe and it doesn’t get legal approval, we should not jump to conclusion. Protests won’t yield anything. The accused is already behind bars. Stop turning this place into a madhouse.