BUDGAM – Rape accused faith healer from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, who was arrested by police on charges of rape in May 2013, was acquitted by a local court on Thursday, apparentlydue to ‘lack of evidence and discrepancy in the investigation’, Srinagar based news agency CNS reported.
While acquitting Gulzar Ahmed Bhat son Ghulam Qadir Bhat of Latter Chadur (Shamasabad), Khan Sahib, the Principal and District Sessions judge Budgam, stated, “considering the oral as well as other evidence brought on record, it can be safely concluded that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the guilt of the accused.”Defence lawyer Mushtaq Ahmed Dar represented the accused in the case. He said that Court acquitted his client with honor and soon after the order, he was released from the jail.
Pertinently, Gulzar Bhat was arrested in central Kashmir’s Budgam district in May 2013 after police received a complaint from at least four minor girls alleging that they had been repeatedly sexually-exploited during their stay at an institute run by this faith healer.
Sessions Judge Budgam had framed rape charges against the accused and had said that case would be taken up on fast track basis. An FIR vide number 40/2013 under section 376 RPC had been registered against the accused in police station Khansahab and from May 2013 he was behind the bar in Srinagar Central Jail. (CNS)