Kashmir's High Court has asked police to set up an identification parade of men accused of patronising a prostitution ring, a court official said on Saturday.
Authorities last month uncovered the racket involving nearly 40 women and teenage girls whose clients reportedly included politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen. Its disclosure was followed by a huge outcry in the conservative Muslim-majority state.
"The high court ordered the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigations) on Friday to hold an identification parade of those people whose names have been mentioned by a minor girl in her statement," the court official said.
No date was given for the police line-up.
The girl is said to have named over 50 people as alleged clients.
State chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad earlier this month asked the CBI to take over the case which came to light when amateur pornographic films began circulating in the state.
On Friday the court ordered the state government to ensure the women and girls were protected from physical harm and their identities kept secret.
Early this month, hundreds of people wrecked the house of the woman accused of organising the prostitution ring, setting fire to her belongings.
The government has said it would introduce legislation making prostitution punishable with a maximum life in prison in a bid to defuse the row.
{{/usCountry}}The government has said it would introduce legislation making prostitution punishable with a maximum life in prison in a bid to defuse the row.
{{/usCountry}}Prostitution currently carries a jail term of up to three years for the first offence and up to five years for a second offence under the state's Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.