A special CBI investigation court on May 30 convicted five accused, including Mohd Ashrif Mir, a former DSP of J&K Police and an encounter specialist; KC Padhi, former DIG of BSF; Shabbir Ahmad Laway, Shabbir Ahmad Langoo and Masood Ahmad in 2006 Jammu & Kashmir sex scandal case.

On the basis of benefit of doubt, Judge Gagan Geet Kaur acquitted two other accused, including former Jammu and Kashmir Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi, CBI prosecutor KP Singh said.

The other two accused died during the course of the trial.

“The court has held five persons guilty in the scandal while two persons have been acquitted in this case,” CBI prosecutor K P Singh said.

The scam came to light in 2006 after the video of showing minor Kashmiri girls being sexually exploited for money handed over to the police. These minors were forced into the sex trade & were exploited sexually by politicians, bureaucrats and police officials.

There were four victims who were named as CBI witnesses in the case but three turned hostile and the fourth one a 13-Year old girl (victim) was kept in protective custody due to the sensitive nature of the case.

The victim’s statement revealed that seven persons Laway, Langoo, Ahmad, Ashraf Mir, Padhi, Sethi and Malik had sexual intercourse with her from 2003 to 2006. The victim identified six of the accused in a Test Identification Parade, and the seventh person, Sethi, through his photograph. But later she turned hostile in case against Sethi and Malik.

The convicted persons were out on bail and following the orders, they were immediately taken into custody and sent to Burail jail.

All accused were booked under Section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code and Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Act.

Langoo, who was also booked under Section 67 of the Information and Technology Act, was acquitted of the charge.

The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on June 4.