Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / SOUTH ASIA
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 04:46 GMT 05:46 UK

Politicians held in sex scandal

Women protesters Two senior politicians of Indian-administered Kashmir have been arrested in connection with a sex scandal involving an underage girl.

Former ministers Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Raman Mattoo were arrested by India's top law enforcement agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Ten people, including a senior police official, have been arrested so far in connection with the scandal.

The affair has led to widespread protests in Kashmir.

Senior CBI officer Pankaj Kumar Singh told the BBC that Mr Mir and Mr Mattoo were arrested from Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar and the Indian capital, Delhi respectively.

Both were state ministers in the Kashmir coalition government.

Mr Mir belongs to the Congress party, which heads the federal ruling coalition.

Prostitution ring

The CBI has also announced a reward of 200,000 rupees ($4,360) for anyone helping the agency in arresting a former law official of the state in connection with the case.

The accused are alleged to have misused their authority to force under-age girls into prostitution in Kashmir.

The scandal broke after a non-governmental group handed over a pornographic CD to the police. The CD contained images of a local girl thought to be 15 or 16 years old.

The names of 56 men were disclosed after police questioned a woman alleged to at the centre of a prostitution ring, and the underage girl.

The woman and the girl have also named 42 women linked to the scandal.




E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
Kashmir gripped by vice scandal (18 May 06 |  South Asia )
Kashmir women fight 'obscenity' (31 Aug 05 |  South Asia )
Protest over Kashmir 'sex ring' (05 May 06 |  South Asia )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Jammu and Kashmir government
Government of India
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©