Ex BSF DIG among five held guilty in J&K sex scandal
Chandigarh, May 30: A former BSF DIG and four others were held guilty by a Special Court here on Wednesday in the 2006 sex scandal in Jammu and Kashmir in which several minor girls were sexually exploited.
Those convicted are former Border Security Force Deputy Inspector General (DIG) K.C. Padi, former Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammed Ashraf Mir, Maqsood Ahmad, Shabir Ahmad Langoo and Shabir Ahmad Laway.
Then Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi and Mehrajudin Malik were acquitted. The scandal kingpin Sabeena and her husband died during trial.
The court will pronounce the sentence on the convicts on June 4.
The scandal broke after police seized some video CDs of Kashmiri girls' sexual exploitation by police and other officials.
After then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the agency's probe revealed the involvement of 56 persons in the racket, including influential people like Ministers and others.
The Supreme Court transferred the case trial to Chandigarh in 2006.
Former DIG KC Pahdi at the Chandigarh district court.
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LPG crunch hits Mangaluru, canteens, hotels shut
Mangaluru: After major cities including Bengaluru and Chennai, the LPG shortage crisis has also struck Mangaluru now.
Reports are emerging about the closure of several hotels, canteens and street food outlets in the city.
The shortage is triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has been worsening day by day.
According to reports, several hotels, canteens and street food preparation units have been forced to shut down operations in some areas due to the lack of commercial LPG cylinders.
In Dakshina Kannada district, hotels, restaurants and street food stalls have reportedly remained closed for the past two to three days in several locations.
On Saturday as well, hotel owners in many parts of the district, including Mangaluru city, faced difficulties in obtaining commercial gas cylinders.
Some establishments had stocked cylinders in advance and managed to continue operations for a few days.
However some owners said they may have no option but to shut down if the shortage continues.
The impact of the situation has also been felt in the fisheries sector.
Fishermen said that there is strong demand from abroad for fish varieties such as shrimp, anjal, manji and bondas, which are usually exported. However, restrictions on the movement of container ships have affected the fishing industry as well.
Leaders of the hotel owners’ associations in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts have urged the authorities to distribute LPG cylinders equally to their sector as well.
They warned that if the supply is not ensured, more hotels may have to shut down.
At present, district administrations have prioritised LPG supply for essential sectors including domestic households, educational institutions, hospitals, hostels, dormitories and religious institutions.
Meanwhile, a few hotels that still use fire wood for cooking have continued their operations.
Meanwhile, timber traders have also said that even firewood is now facing a shortage, as supply is unable to meet the rising demand.
