Another sex racket unearthed in J&K

The Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday claimed to have unearthed yet another sex racket being run in the garb of a non-governmental organisation in the valley with the arrest of four girls and five pimps from Handwara area in Kupwara district.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Kupwara-Baramulla) Abdul Subhan Lone told reporters that Abdul Majeed Bhat, who was running the NGO -- Women's Welfare Organisation -- in Handwara area, was arrested in connection with the flesh trade scandal.

He said police on August 8 arrested Bhat, the NGO's chairman, his son Abdul Waheed, Abdul Ghani Mir, Ghulam Mohammad, Khursheed Ahmed Awaan and car driver Nazir Ahmed Tantray from Rajouri in Jammu region where they had taken the four girls.

Mushtaq Ahmed Sofi, a lecturer in Degree College, Handwara, has also been arrested.

Bhat admitted before the police that he was running the scandal since the past one year and named 40 girls involved in the racket. Lone said one of the 40 girls had earlier committed suicide and police were investigating the matter.

Police have registered the case and formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. It has also sealed the office of the NGO and seized all records. Lone said more arrests were expected in connection with the sex racket.