JKHC seeks transfer of influential people for smooth probe

Srinagar, June 23 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today took strong notice of the allegations that some highly-placed people in politics, administration and police are hindering the investigations into the sex racket case and directed the CBI to seek their immediate transfer from their present positions.

The court once again pulled up the CBI for taking no action against the hotels and guest houses allegedly used for carrying out flesh trade activities and asked the agency to speed up probe in the sex racket case.

Passing orders after hearing the arguments from both the sides, a division bench, comprising Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani and Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, listed the case for June 30 and asked the CBI to submit a status report indicating the progress of the investigation on June 26 and 28.

The orders were passed this evening. It was earlier reported that the case had been posted for orders tomorrow.

The CBI, which is investigating the sex racket scandal, had earlier submitted the case diaries to the bench.

In its orders, the bench said during submissions the petitioners (Kashmir Bar Association) have alleged that the involvement of highly-placed people from politics, administration and police was perhaps hindering the pace of investigations and reportedly some of them were using their official positions to threaten the witnesses and the victims.

''The investigating agency requires to take note of that. In the interest of investigation, they (CBI) may also seek shifting of such persons by the competent authority so that they are not in positions to hamper the process of investigation or tamper with the evidence,'' the court ordered.

It said the court, if required, would also examine advisability of assessing the level of accusations and the requisite action in each case and then pass the appropriate orders.

''We have also noticed that no action has been taken in cases of hotels and places stated to have been used for commission of the occurrence (flesh trade activities) nor has any reason been furnished for that omission,'' the bench added.

It asked the CBI to take all necessary lawful steps in respect of these hotels and places and the people associated.

''We are also informed that some of the accused persons arrested by the CBI perhaps face difficulty in having the service of counsel for defending them. If that be so, such persons will be at liberty to seek appropriate legal help, either from the court concerned of if necessary from this court,'' the bench observed.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court after taking suo motu cognizance of the case also admitted a public interest litigation filed by the Kashmir Bar Association on May 12. Since then the High Court is hearing the sex racket case and monitoring the investigations into the scandal by the CBI. The CBI has arrested 13 people in the case 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.

The High Court taking serously the allegations that some highly-placed people were hindering the investigations into the sex racket case, directed the CBI to seek their immediate transfer from their present positions.

The court has also once again pulled up the CBI for taking no action against the hotels and guest houses allegedly used for carrying out flesh trade and asked the agency to speed up probe in against them Passing orders after hearing the arguments from both the sides yesterday afternoon, a division bench, comprising Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani and Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, listed the case for June 30 and asked the CBI to submit a status report indicating the progress of the investigation on June 26 and 28.

The court said that in the interest of investigation, they (CBI) may also seek shifting of such people by the competent authority so that could not influence the process of investigation or tamper with the evidence.

UNI