As PM backs action in ‘shameful’ sex scandal, HC tells CBI: get big guns

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, making an indirect reference to the Srinagar sex abuse scandal in his speech, called it "shameful" and backed action against those "responsible for such acts", the J&K High Court directed the CBI to "start from the highest" and expedite the identification parade of suspects.

"Those who are in the highest positions and have the potential to influence the case should have been tackled first," said the division bench of Justice Hakeem Imtiaz Hussain and Justice B A Kirmani which is monitoring the case, first reported by The Indian Express.

"It is not a case of ordinary prostitution but something broader in dimension and deeper in implication. People involved are in decision-making positions," the bench said.

Observing that "ordinary people" can be paraded later as "they are not going to run away", the bench said: "CBI should fix priority and start from the top. Most of the named persons are highly placed. Some are former ministers, and some may be even future ministers."

The CBI, which submitted its report to the court, said it had paraded seven persons before the victim. Three of them were identified and one detained. Shabir Naik, the CBI counsel, said the agency had "examined" three hotels used in the sex abuse racket and would be searching other such hotels and guest houses.

On the basis of names provided by the victim, the CBI said they had prepared three lists: "One is about the persons who had sex with the girl, one about the persons who visited (alleged kingpin) Sabeena's house. And one about the other girls involved in the racket."

The CBI made a request for "lodging and boarding of all girls involved in the sex abuse scandal" and sought the assistance of J-K Police to round up and produce 34 girls whose names have surfaced in the scandal.

... contd.

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