Former BSF DIG among 5 held guilty in 2006 J&K sex scandal

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

Twelve years after video tapes exposed a sex scandal in Jammu and Kashmir, a special court on Wednesday held five persons guilty of rape. They are former Border Security Force (BSF) Deputy Inspector General (DIG)  KC Padhi, former DSP Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Shabbir Ahmed Laway, Shabbir Ahmed Langoo and Masood Ahmed.

 It let off two of the accused, former Additional Advocate General of Jammu and Kashmir Anil Sethi and businessman Mehruj-ud din Malik, giving them the ‘benefit of doubt’. The prosecution failed to prove charges against the two with the victim refusing to identify them in court. The other two accused, Sabeena, who ran a brothel, and her husband Abdul Hamid Bullah, died during the course of the trial.

All were booked under Section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code and Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Act. Langoo, who was also booked under Section 67 of the Information and Technology Act, was acquitted of the charge. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on June 4.

 The scam came to light in 2006 after the police were handed two CDs showing minor Kashmiri girls being sexually exploited for money. The police questioned two girls, including the prosecutrix, and brothel owner Sabeena, who named 56 persons. The case was taken over by the CBI and the trial shifted by the Supreme Court to Chandigarh. The CBI unearthed a sex racket involving ministers and influential persons. With senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig pointing an accusing finger at then CM Omar Abdullah, the latter resigned in 2009.

A complaint in the case was lodged by then president of “Samaj Sudhar Committee and supplementary cases were filed against several hoteliers and guest house owners. In seven such cases, the accused have already been acquitted, the last one being Muhammad Yusuf Mir, former Superintendent of Police of the J&K Police. In April last year, Riyaz Ahmed Kawa was acquitted for running a brothel at Imperial Hotel. Among others acquitted were former Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Khandey,  former ministers Raman Mattu, police official Absar Ahmed Dar, Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Hilal Ahmed Shah.