Sex racket: Bail of DIG BSF referred to div Bench

Srinagar, June 23: The bail applications of two former Jammu and Kashmir ministers, Ex-Additional Advocate General and Deputy Inspector of General (DIG), allegedly involved in the recently exposed sex racket, were referred to Divisional Bench by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) here today.

The next date of hearing has been fixed on July 1.

Former minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir, representing Congress from Dooru constituency, and Raman Mattoo, who was elected from Habbakadal seat as an independent, former Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi and DIG BSF K S Padhi had applied for bail in the court of CJM.

As the case came up today, the CJM directed to refer all the bail applications of the accused to Divisional Bench, hearing the main sex racket case.

Mir was arrested from Delhi while Mattoo was taken into custody from his Gupkar house here. The DIG BSF surrendered before the CBI here while Sethi, who was evading arrest since a proclamation notice was issued against him on June 14 by CJM following a request by the CBI, also surrendered in a local court at Jammu recently.

The sex racket case was handed over to the CBI by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on May one following allegations that politicians, bureaucrats besides senior police and paramilitary officials were involved in the scandal.

As soon as the scandal surfaced, massive demonstrations erupted in the entire Kashmir valley and the angry protestors brought down the houses of alleged sex racket kingpin Sabeena at Habba Kadal in the old city on June 5.

On May three, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court took a suo motu cognisance of the case and then on May 12 admitted a public interest litigation filed by the Kashmir Bar Association.

Since then the High Court is hearing the sex racket case and monitoring the investigations into the scandal by the CBI.

So far, the CBI has arrested 13 people, including K S Padhi, a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Border Security Force (BSF), and Mohammad Ashraf Mir, a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police, besides the two former Ministers, in connection with the sex racket case.

UNI