Srinagar sex scandal case hearing fixed for Dec 5

Chandigarh, Nov 20 (UNI) The District and Sessions court here today fixed December 5 as the next date of hearing into the sensational Srinagar sex scandal case for arguments on a plea of five accused in the case for trial by a judicial magistrate.

The CBI today submitted the copies of statements of witnesses to the defence counsel in the court of District and Sessions Judge B S Mehndiratta, who also reserved order on the bail pleas of 13 of the 14 accused till pendency of the matter before Punjab and Haryana High Court here.

Sitting MLAs Raman Mattoo and G A Mir, bureaucrat Iqbal Khandey, Mohammad Yusuf Mir and Mohammad Riyaz Kawa -- who were booked under section 5 of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act in the case -- had argued that the Sessions Court had no jurisdiction to hold trial under this Section.

While seven accused had pleaded for lodging them in Srinagar Central jail, former BSF DIG K C Padhi and Anil Sethi, who is the son of former Supreme Court judge R P Sethi, had sought permission for a visit to a temple in Hoshiarpur during the last hearing on November 3.

In all, 14 persons faced trail in the case, including Iqbal Khandey who is out on interim bail.

UNI PS DKA HT1725