JKHC seeks fresh statements of sex scam accused from CBI

Srinagar, May 16 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today rapped the CBI for taking incomplete statements of the sex racket accused and asked it to take fresh recorded accounts and submit a report within the next two days on May 19.

Earlier, the CBI submitted its first report of the status of investigation into the sex scandal case in a confidential cover to a division bench comprising Justice Hakim Imtiyaz and Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani.

The bench observed that the CBI had failed to take complete statements from the accused even after questioning them for three consecutive days.

The court asked the CBI to take fresh statements of the sex racket accused in presence of senior District and Session Judge Moulvi Javed and posted the hearing of the case on Friday.

The bench also asked the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Shaheed Gunj Police Station, Javed Koul to be present in the court on the next date of hearing on May 19.

The bench is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Kashmir Bar Association (KBA).

Admitting a writ petition, the bench had passed some interim directions in this regard yesterday.

The court said it will regularly monitor the investigations and asked the CBI to submit its daily report to the bench.

It also warned of stern action against those responsible for circulating and publishing the ''lists'' of the girls allegedly involved in the sex racket.

The Station House Officer (SHO) of the area concerned will be held responsible if any person was found to be indulging in any such act, the bench said.

The high court also ordered that no subordinate court will pass any order as far as the bail application of the accused was concerned.

The High Court on May 12 had said that the petition on the sex scandal was fit to be treated as a PIL and referred it to Chief Justice Bashir Ahmed Khan for appropriate action.

The Chief Justice in turn listed the case before a division bench for today as per the legal precedence.

Earlier on May 9, the High Court had clubbed the PIL filed by the KBA on May one and suo moto cognisance of media reports about the sex racket taken by Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani and listed the matter for hearing on May 12.

UNI AG ASM YA VC2005