Judgment in 2006 J&K sex scandal today

CHANDIGARH: The judgment in the infamous 2006 Jammu and Kashmir sex scandal case, the oldest listed with the Chandigarh district court, will be pronounced on Wednesday.

The case had nine accused and four survivors. However, prime accused Sabeena and her husband Abdul Hamid Bulla, who allegedly ran a brothel in Srinagar, died during the trial.

The 2006 scandal had hit headlines after the J&K police discovered two video CDs showing Kashmiri minors being sexually exploited. The police questioned the minors, including the alleged kingpin, Sabeena. After questioning them, the police gathered names of 56 people allegedly involved in the scandal.


The case was transferred to the CBI in May 2006 after names of two J&K ministers, MLAs and other influential men emerged in the case. The Supreme Court shifted the trial to Chandigarh in the same year.

Interestingly, name of then J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah had also surfaced in the case, which led to him resigning from the post in July 2009. The J&K governor had eventually rejected his resignation.

The minors were forced into prostitution and were supplied to top police officials, bureaucrats, politicians and even to militants who had surrendered. They were paid between Rs 250 to Rs 500 in return.

Code language used to keep identityof survivors and witnesses hidden

Keeping in view sensitive nature of the case as well as involvement of minors, the entire trial was kept in-camera and code words were used by the CBI so that the identity of the complainants and witnesses was not compromised at any cost. Three survivors turned hostile during the course of the trial and the fourth one was kept in CBI protective custody.

Whose fate would be decided?
The accused include VVIPs like Shabbir Ahmad Laway aka Shabbir Kala, businessman Mehrajuddin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Langoo, Masoor Ahmad aka Maqsood, J&K encounter specialist DSP Mohammad Ashraf Mir, K C Padhi (BSF DIG), Anil Sethi (the then advocate general).

Main accused Sabeena and her husband Abdul Hamid Bulla, who ran the brothel, were also named as accused.

Arguments
The defence argued that the accused had been falsely implicated since they were high profile personalities and were the face of India in Jammu and Kashmir. It was also argued that they were falsely implicated as the Opposition never wanted democracy to flourish in J&K. However, CBI prosecutor K P Singh argued that if these accused were the face of the Indian democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, “then we do not want this face of India.”

Allegations as per chargesheet
Shabbir Ahmad Laway aka Shabbir Kala raped a minor

Mehrajuddin Malik raped a minor

Shabbir Ahmad Langoo aka Lone raped a minor twice and prepared a pornographic clip

Masoor Ahmad aka Maqsood raped a minor

Mohammad Ashraf Mir raped a minor

KC Padhi raped a minor

Anil Sethi raped a minor

Sabeena and Abdul Hamid Bulla for criminal conspiracy and running the brothel and supplying girls