Five Held Guilty in J&K Minors' Rape and Prostitution Case, Two Acquitted
Chandigarh: Five persons, including former deputy inspector general of the BSF K.C. Padhi and former Jammu and Kashmir deputy superintendent police Mohammad Ashraf Mir, were held guilty by a special CBI court here on Wednesday in the 2006 Jammu and Kashmir sex scandal.
Two other accused, including the then additional advocate general of Jammu and Kashmir, were acquitted by the court of judge Gagan Geet Kaur for rape under Section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code.
The quantum of sentence in the infamous case will be pronounced on June 4. The sentence could range from seven years in jail to life imprisonment.
The scandal had hit the headlines in 2006 when the police recovered two CDs showing Kashmiri minors being sexually exploited. The minors were allegedly coerced into prostitution and supplied to top police officials, bureaucrats, politicians and surrendered militants.
"The court has held five persons guilty in the scandal while two persons have been acquitted in this case," said CBI prosecutor K.P. Singh.
Singh said the three others found guilty are Maqsood Ahmad, Shabir Ahmad Langoo and Shabir Ahmad Laway.
The court acquitted former additional advocate general Anil Sethi and Mehrajuddin Malik, the CBI prosecutor added.
Prime accused Sabeena and her husband Abdul Hamid Bulla, who allegedly ran a brothel, died during the trial.
During the investigation, Jammu and Kashmir police had prepared a list of 56 suspects, including high-profile individuals, allegedly involved in the sex scandal. The case was shifted to the CBI in May 2006 after the names of some ministers also emerged.
The Supreme Court transferred the case to a Chandigarh court later that year.
The then state chief minister Omar Abdullah submitted his resignation when his name was linked with this case.
However, the then governor N.N. Vohra had refused to accept his resignation.
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