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JK sex scandal hits beauty
palours, rocks lawyers

     Srinagar: The sex racket allegedly involving politicians, bureaucrats and paramilitary officers has hit the beauty business in the Kashmir Valley and created angst in the legal fraternity of the state. The beauty business has only just taken an upswing in profit after 17 years of isolation created by the fear of the gun. Last week's unearthing of the sex scandal has hit beauticians pretty hard, particualrly those women who are the sole breadwinners of their families. "The business is good and when this good work is closed, then around 90 percent of the people involved in the trade are affected. The beauty parlour profession is not wrong. So, why should it be closed? Sabina, who was caught, was not running a beauty parlour, " exclaims Faisal, a businessman. "I work here , and my house hold depends on this profession . This type of activity never happens over here, and if it was happening then would my husband have left me over here. It might take place in the Gents parlour in which a girl works, but it cannot take place in Ladies parlour. " said Ruksana, a beauty parlour employee. "The business has come down drastically. We are poor girls, and where will we go? This is our sole- occupation of employment and we have been working here for the past 12 years and nothing has happened to us. I have five sisters, my father is already dead.and I have to support them," said Mymoona and Shakeela, two other beauty parlour employees. A girl, preferring anonymity, said that,"if the beauty parlours are closed, how will we survive, and such acts can push jobless girls into the flesh trade".

     The take of the lawyers on the sordid scam was more vocal and aggressive. They took the the streets, saying all those involved should be punitively dealt with if their collusion was proved. Mian Abdul Qayoom, the President of the Srinagar Bar Association, demanded that the high court should take strict action against those involved and punish the guilty. "This case is really serious and the high court is not taking stringent steps as it should have done.We demanded that the high court transfer the case to a division bench so that the guilty can be punished," Qayoom said. The state government has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the scandal. An angry mob had earlier ransacked the house of a woman suspected of being involved in the sex scandal before razing it to the ground and setting fire to her belongings.

'Court should be sole arbiter of sex scam'

      Srinagar: Kashmir's Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi on Wednesday riduculed the state government's order for a CID inquiry into last week's sex scam, and demanded a judicial probe. Andrabi, whose demand was also backed by womens' wing of the opposition National Conference, said that the names of sex scam suspects should be revealed immediately. Congregating at Srinagar's prominent Lal Chowk, the protesting women said women in the Kashmir Valley would be much safer if the names of the accused were revealed. "We request the CM that names of the culprits should be disclosed as soon as possible, as women here are living in terror. You don't know that girls are not going to schools and colleges. All parents want their children to be secure but when police is involved, who will be secure? If government does not bring the culprits in front of public soon, they will surely go for indefinite hunger strike," said Shamima Firdous, the president of the National Conference Womens' wing. "We want that the case be handled properly and we should get the opportunity to go directly to the court. There is no need to involve the police," said Andrabi She also said that the list of girls allegedly involved in the case should not be given hype as this would spoil their lives.

J & K court to hear sex racket case

     Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court will today hear a case related to the alleged sex racket that rocked the Valley. After taking into cognizance the media reports on sex scandal, Justice B A Kirmani fixed May 10 as the date for hearing, court sources said. The petition, filed by the Kashmir Bar Association (KBA) stated that the delay in investigation to expose those involved in the racket had caused a wave of anger and concern among the people. Since some politicians and police officers are allegedly involved in the scandal, an investigation is not being carried out in a desirable manner. Activists of the radical women's organization, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (Daughters of Faith) on May 8 had staged a protest at Srinagar's Lal Chowk and Budshah Chowk against the alleged sex racket. The burqa-clad activists of the DeM held banners and protested against those involved in sex racket, and demanded that Sabeena, the alleged mastermind be handed over to them so that she could be punished as per the Islamic laws. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had already transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and asked to probe into the matter. Earlier, hundreds of people had stormed and set fire to the house of Sabeena. She was earlier arrested by the Police on October 15, 2004 along with four girls and two customers at Chinkral Mohalla in Srinagar, but released within ten days. On April 28, the State Police arrested two persons after finding CDs in which a 15-year old girl had been forcibly filmed nude. The girl and another minor claimed at least 43 young girls were blackmailed and forced into prostitution. They named two former ministers, some senior police officers, bureaucrats and businessmen are being circulated as being involved in the scandal.