By BILAL BHAT , Srinagar, Jan 25: Three persons were arrested allegedly for abducting a 13-year old girl from Pattan area of North Kashmir and later took her to south Kashmir’s Anantnag district where the accused raped her for about a week.
“On 10 Jan 14 a thirteen years old minor girl from Palhalan was kidnapped by some locals from her house for seven days during which she was allegedly raped by Rauf Bhat, S/o Nazir Ahmed Bhat of Raipora, Palhalan who in turn is related to some prominent religious leaders of JeT”, official sources said. “The minor was forcefully taken to Islamabad & raped brutally over a period of seven days along with three other friends of Rauf Bhat”.
They said that the minor was later managed to give slip to the trio and later boarded the train and reached back home on 10 Jan 14 and narrated the whole incident before her family members who later lodged the case against Rauf Bhat at Police Station Pattan.
“The political might and their poor ethics came to the fore when the case took a political turn showing the true and ugly faces of self-interest and lack of moral and social values of the political parties & their bosses. The incident became a flashpoint of friction between Jamiat-e-Tulba (JeT) and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH)”, sources said.
They said that a prominent leader of JeT, relative of Rauf Bhat tried his personal best to bury the issue first by social pressure and later by using his links in civil administration. “The leaders of JeT even went to the house of the girl with an offer of Rs 4, 00,000/- to settle the issue and spread the rumor that the girl willingly went with the rapist”.
“This clearly highlights the insecurity of women amidst the dirty political games, the indifference to human emotions and the injustice to human aspirations prevalent amongst the political bosses and their near relatives. It seems that the so called “principles” openly prophesized by the political parties are only applicable for flogging political issues”, sources said.
However, there was a strong resentment among the various sections of society especially among the youth who protested against Rauf Bhat and they even offered monetary reward to anyone informing the whereabouts of Rauf Bhat”, sources said.
They said that these brave and bold actions by the youth against the political hierarchy at Palhalan, forced TeH and its leadership including Nasir Maulvi for pressuring the family for surrendering of Rauf Bhat at the earliest. “The Hurriyat which claims to be the voice of the under privileged especially in Palhalan was completely quiet”.
“The highly vocal leaders of TeH who used to talk about injustice & deprivation of rights for Palhalan were nowhere to be found even supporting the minor girl let alone getting the guilty to justice. They remained meek as if in acceptance of such a heinous crime”, sources said.
“During the course of Investigation, police proactively conducted a numbers of raids and within three days they apprehended the three accomplice of Rauf Bhat. Rauf Bhat with support of his friends and family members in the political circle was able to deceive and slip away from police raids thrice before surrendering himself at Police Station Pattan”, a police official wishing anonymity said.
Read the news story. Hats off to Bilal that he dared to do this story. These people who are involved are Geelani’s men and they are being sheltered. Only if Police was active and good, this chap could have been caught. We talk about Army AFSPA and what not. What immunity have these people got that no one even condemns them. Is it not human rights violation. Sad and shameful
It is a shame on people who committed such crime and and those who are shielding. I request our leaders particularly Geelani sahab and Mirwaiz sahab to get after those who perpetrated the crime. They must launch a protest and bandh against them and get them arrested