M A I N   N E W S

J&K ex-Advocate-Gen surrenders
Mattoo gets four-day CBI remand in sex scandal
Tribune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, June 21
After dodging the CBI for about two weeks in connection with the Srinagar sex scandal, Anil Sethi, a former Advocate-General of Jammu and Kashmir, surrendered in a court here today.

Anil Sethi, who is son of Mr R.P Sethi a former judge of the Supreme Court, had been declared a proclaimed offender by a Srinagar court as he was evading arrest.

He was one of the main accused in the sex scandal that has rocked the state.

The CBI had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to his arrest. He was declared proclaimed offender by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar.

Sethi has surrendered a day after the two former ministers and sitting MLAs, G.A Mir and Raman Mattoo, were arrested by the CBI. He will now be taken to Srinagar for being produced in the court that had issued non-bailable warrants against him.

He dramatically appeared in the Sessions Court complex here in the afternoon and surrendered before the duty magistrate.

The Srinagar CJM had issued non-bailable warrants against Sethi earlier this month when he failed to appear before the CBI after being named by a teenaged victim of the sex racket.

The CBI had also issued a look out notice against Sethi to prevent him from fleeing from the country.

Sethi had recently resigned from the post of Additional Advocate General after getting embroiled in a bribery controversy.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, today sent a former Jammu and Kashmir minister, Raman Mattoo to four days CBI remand in the same case.

The Independent MLA from Habbakadal constituency and former Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Mattoo was arrested by the CBI from his Gupkar residence here yesterday.

He was produced in the court here this morning. The CBI had also arrested another MLA of the Congress from Dooru constituency, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, while he was at the Jammu and Kashmir House in New Delhi on Tuesday morning. He was brought here from New Delhi this afternoon, sources said.

The Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, Mr M.Y. Akhoon, also extended the remand of three others, including the kingpin, Ms Sabina (seven days), a Dy SP, Mohammad Ashraf and Shabir Ahmad (14 days). The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate would take up the bail application of the Dy SP, Mohammad Ashraf, and another accused, Shabir Ahmad, on June 23.

Mir, 50, a Congress MLA representing Dooru constituency of Anantnag district, had earlier also remained Minister of State for Tourism in the Mufti government. Mr Raman Mattoo, 45, who is representing Habbakadal constituency here was a Minister of State for Industries and Commerce in the Mufti government. It was in this constituency that the kingpin Ms Sabina’s house was targeted by an angry mob in Habbakadal on May 5 after the sex scandal was unearthed.

Mir, had denied any involvement in the scandal on May 27 and had described it as a “tirade” against him “in a crude attempt” to connect him. “It is unfortunate that my political opponents are stooping to a level which no decent person will do. The facts revealed regarding the flesh trade in the city of Srinagar have equally shocked me and I share the anxiety of the sensitive minds of our society ”, he had stated.

“I firmly believe that law should take its own course and the investigating agencies should be given a free hand to take the investigation to its logical end and all those found involved should be dealt with sternly, howsoever highly placed he or she may be”, he had stated.

“I at the same time appeal to all concerned not to turn this serious issue into a battle to settle political scores or derive political benefits out of it”, he had added.