Sex scandal: Accused JD-U leader arrested in JK

Srinagar, Aug 26: The Jammu and Kashmir police today arrested a Janta Dal (United) leader, the second main accused in the Handwara NGO sex scandal, from here.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Handwara, Dr Hasseb Mughal, told UNI that advocate Mir Khurshid, a Janata Dal (United) leader who has been absconding ever since the racket was unearthed, was arrested from Baramulla this afternoon.

The accused, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2002 Assembly elections from the area, was later taken to Handwara for questioning.

Police had arrested the main accused Ghulam Mohiuddin Bhat alias Raja Mohiuddin of Handwara on August 19.

The accused is a reporter working for two daily newspapers published from here -- Tameel Irshad (Urdu) and Amroze Kashmir (English) -- and also a news agency, Kashmir Press Service (KPS), owned by his brother, Akash Amin Bhat.

On August 17, police claimed to have unearthed yet another sex racket being run in the garb of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Valley with the arrest of four girls and five pimps from Handwara area in Kupwara district.

Abdul Majeed Bhat, who was running the NGO, Women's Welfare Organisation, in Handwara area, his son Abdul Waheed, Abdul Ghani Mir, Ghulam Mohammad, Khursheed Ahmed Awaan and Sumo driver Nazir Ahmed Tantray were on August 8 arrested from Rajouri in Jammu region where they had taken the four girls.

Mushtaq Ahmed Sofi, a lecturer in Degree College, Handwara, was also arrested. Bhat had admitted before the police that he was running the scandal since the past one year, and named 40 girls involved in the racket.

One of the 40 girls had earlier committed suicide and police were investigating the matter.

Police registered the case and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Dr Mughal, to probe the case. Police also sealed the office of the NGO and seized all records.

So far, 16 people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Dr Mughal said 58 girls were involved in the sex scandal and 40 vehicles used for ferrying them have also been identified.

People in Handwara have strongly protested against the scandal and threatened to intensify agitation if all the accused were not arrested and punished.

A Handwara court had on Thursday extended till August 29 the police remand of those arrested in connection with the sex racket.

UNI