Srinagar, May 10
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today ordered personal appearances of the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police on May 12 while looking into a sex scandal even as lawyers protested against their petition coming up before a particular judge.Passing the order, Mr Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain asked the Chief Secretary, Mr Vijay Bakaya, and the DGP, Mr Gopal Sharma, to be present in the court with all communications that the state government had exchanged with the CBI regarding the racket.
Members of the Kashmir Bar Association went on a strike, demanding an immediate hearing of their petition filed in the high court regarding a probe into the scandal.
Mian Qayoom, president of the association, said the petition should have been listed before a Division Bench of the court, but was instead listed for hearing before a single judge.
“We have asked for the constitution of a special probe by the high court into the racket with progress monitored regularly,” Qayoom said.
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, today asked the Congress-led government to make public the names of those involved in the scandal to “restore the people’s faith in the system”.
“The government should make public the names of the scandal accused to restore the people’s faith in the system,” PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said in a statement.
Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of Faith) chief Asiya Andrabi also demanded a high-level judicial probe, claiming that the people have no faith in the CBI and the police.
“The case should be handed over to a full Division Bench of the high court. We have no faith in the CBI and the police. The CBI has no access to the Kashmiri women,” she told mediapersons here.
She broke down in tears several times during her nearly one-hour press conference.
“The seriousness and gravity of the case should be understood. Every minute is vital. The people are delaying the investigations to tamper with the evidence,” she added.
— Agencies
