New Delhi, June 20
Two former ministers, including Congress MLA Ghulam Ahmed Mir, were arrested by the CBI here today for their alleged involvement in the Jammu and Kashmir sex scandal.
Mir, an MLA from Dooru, Anantnag, was arrested from Jammu and Kashmir House in Chankyapuri, while another Independent MLA Raman Mattoo was arrested in Srinagar, CBI sources said here.
The decision to arrest them was taken after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court yesterday asked the investigating agency to start taking “concrete action” on the statement of Sabeena, the alleged kingpin in the case.
Both MLAs were booked under Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act for procuring persons for prostitution. Under this Section, the two, if convicted, will have to undergo three months’ imprisonment or pay a fine of Rs 20,000 or both.
Immediately after their arrest, the CBI informed the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, about the development.
Sleuths of the CBI’s Special Crime unit arrived at J and K House early this morning and started questioning Mir about his alleged involvement in the case.
After preliminary questioning, Mir, who came to the Capital only yesterday, was informed by CBI officials that he had been placed under arrest and he would be taken on a transit remand to Srinagar, the sources said.
Mir was nominated by the Congress Election Committee as a polling agent for its party President Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli but was withdrawn after his name started doing rounds in the scandal.
Mattoo was also placed under arrest early this morning and was taken to the agency’s makeshift office at Humhama, on the outskirts of Srinagar.
