Deepika Singh Rajawat
Jammu
Became the first lawyer to represent family of Kathua rape victim
Seven months ago, lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat was all over newsprint. A picture of her striding out of the court, flanked by male lawyers, had gone viral. She was, after all, the only lawyer who had chosen to represent the family of an eight-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. The image prompted British actor Emma Watson to tweet, "All power to Deepika Singh Rajawat."

A lot of water has flown under the bridge since. Today, Rajawat has been dropped from the case by the family citing lack of attendance at court hearings. She might be divested of the power of attorney, "but I'm still as invested in the case," she tells us in a phone conversation from Jammu. "Yes, it pained me to hear of their decision, but I am still tracking the Pathankot trial with the same rigour," she says. The 38-year-old Kashmiri Pandit is an advocate at the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, and chairperson of Voice for Rights, an NGO for human rights. She also works for Child Rights and You (CRY).