Srinagar, June 29
Continuing its probe into the sex racket that has rocked Jammu and Kashmir, the CBI arrested senior IAS officer Iqbal Khandey and a hotel-owner here today for allegedly procuring girls for prostitution.
The CBI picked up Khandey, a 1978 batch officer of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, from his residence and placed him under arrest after questioning him briefly, CBI sources said.
Khandey was posted as Principal Secretary (Planning) in the state government. He was earlier Principal Secretary to former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
He was arrested on the basis of a statement by Sabeena, the alleged kingpin of the racket, that was corroborated by another woman named Yasmeena, the sources said.
Riaz Kawa, the owner of Naaz hotel, was the second person arrested by the CBI.
Khandey was booked under Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act for procuring girls for prostitution. A person convicted under this section faces a prison term of three months or a fine of Rs 20,000 or both.
He will be produced before a designated court tomorrow during which the CBI will seek his remand for custodial interrogation.
Fourteen persons have been arrested so far in connection with the racket that sparked widespread protests in the Kashmir Valley last month.
The sources said Kawa had allegedly allowed his hotel to be used as a place for prostitution besides himself exploiting the women. He was arrested under Sections 3 and 5 of the ITPA, they
said. — PTI
