NEWS

Politicians, bureaucrats named in J&K sex racket

Source:PTI
June 08, 2006 16:06 IST

Nearly two dozen politicians and bureaucrats have been named for the alleged exploitation of girls by Sabeena, accused in a sex racket that has rocked Jammu and Kashmir, Central Bureau of Investigation sources said.

The bureaucrats and politicians were named by Sabeena while recording her statement before the CBI. Declining to identify those named by her, the sources said they included "big-wigs" of the political and administrative set-up in the state.

The CBI recorded her statement twice after securing appropriate orders from a magistrate as she was in judicial custody. The high court had ordered the agency to record her statement even if she was in judicial custody.

Sabeena also claimed she and her husband were trapped by senior officials in the administration, the sources said.

About the 15-year-old girl victim who has named 11 people for allegedly exploiting her, Sabeena said she was a distant relative and the girl's father had bailed her out from jail in 2004, when she was booked under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.

Nine persons, including Sabeena, a deputy superintendent of police and a Border Security Force deputy inspector general, have been arrested in connection with the scandal that triggered protests across the Kashmir Valley.

During one such protest on May 1, an angry mob brought down Sabeena's house in the Civil Lines area in Srinagar.

Asked whether an identification parade will be conducted on the basis of Sabeena's list, the sources said they would finish investigations involving the teenaged victim before moving on to other matters.     

Besides the 11 people she has accused of raping her, the teenaged victim named another 20 as those who used to visit Sabeena's house.

Five persons including BSF Deputy Inspector General K S Padhi have been arrested on the charge of raping the teenager after she identified them during parades conducted by the CBI.

She, however, identified only three of the 20 people she had named as visitors to Sabeena's residence, the sources said.

The CBI is awaiting the surrender of former additional advocate general Anil Sethi, another person alleged to have raped the teenager, as Chief Judicial Magistrate M Y Akhoon had issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

If he does not surrender, he would be arrested, sources said.

CBI will on Friday submit a status report on its probe into the racket to the high court.

Source: PTI
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