CBI asked to act in J&K sex racket case

J&K High Court asked CBI to initiate action against public functionaries named by victims and witnesses.

Taking strong note of the slow speed of investigations into the sex racket case, Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Saturday asked CBI to initiate action against the public functionaries named by the victims and witnesses in the case.

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The CBI will, without any further loss of time, concretise action including custodial interrogation against all persons found substantially involved in terms of materials on record, regardless of their position and placement, the Division Bench Comprising Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain and BA Kirmani said in its order on Saturday.

The investigating officer in the first instance will concentrate on the accusation appearing against the public functionaries, named in the case diaries and shall conlude the investigation, the Bench said.

The court said CBI should take the process of the probe to logical end and prevent the witnesses who have exposed themselves in giving reportedly incriminating statements against powerful culprits from being harassed or subjected to unlawful pressures.

The investigating officer of the case shall be at liberty to seek appropriate directions from this court if required for effective and lawful investigation and shall not act on any incompetent instruction whatsoever, the Bench directed.

It also barred any authority from issuing any direction or instruction contrary to lawful requirements of the focussed investigation and consequent action in the case.