A “very very important politician” and the “brother of a senior state Cabinet Minister” are the two new names added to the list of VVIPs under intensive scrutiny by the CBI in the J&K sex abuse scandal.

These two men have surfaced on the CBI’s radar after the state government decided yesterday to hand over to the agency the October 2004 sex abuse case which had been allegedly hushed up.

In fact, CBI investigators are now looking at links between that case and the most recent one in which two politicians, a BSF DIG and the Additional Advocate General are already in custody.

The decision to bring the 2004 case into the ambit of the 2006 investigation came after prodding from the High Court.

The bench couldn’t have been clearer. “While going through files pertaining to FIR No 5/2004, Police Station, Magam, titled ‘State vs Syed Sajad’ and FIR No 80/2004, Police Station Maharaj Gunj titled, ‘State vs Jagbir Singh,’ we find that these cases need further investigation particularly in view of disclosures made by the girls in the present case and the apparent links between those and this cases,’’ the High Court said yesterday. “We direct re-investigation of both these cases and cancel the bail bonds of all accused therein.’’

The J&K Government had transferred the 2006 sex abuse case to CBI after The Indian Express report on a confidential police dossier on a sex abuse ring exposed by a 15-year-old victim. The victim had been called for questioning after the police came across her nude video clip.

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