Acquittal of Gulzar peer ‘is a certificate to all those who lure and rape girls’: JeI

KL Report

SRINAGAR

Condemning the acquittal of rape accused Gulzar peer, the Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) on Friday said the court verdict is ‘murder of justice’ and a ‘certificate to rapists’.

“The justice has been murdered. We don’t accept the verdict. The judge has trampled the justice. The evidence against Gulzar has been ignored deliberately,” the Jama’at spokesman, Advocate Zahid Ali, told GNS over phone and said ‘there is no justice’ in Kashmir.

Gulzar Ahmed Bhat, son Ghulam Qadir Bhat of Khan Sahib Budgam, was acquitted in the court of Principal and District Sessions judge Budgam, stated that, “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.”

Raising questions, Lone said: “They might have pressurized witnesses. Otherwise the girls gave statements under section 164. Where are those statements? We don’t understand where those statements went.”

“Basically, there is a syndrome of ‘peer parasti’ in Kashmir. I have seen many judges here who stand up before a person if he is called ‘peer sahab’. Those judges aren’t bothered even if the person is murder accused. We don’t know which judge acquitted Gulzar. One need to ask the judge where are those statements recorded by girls where they clearly stated that the fake peer has committed excesses with them,” Lone said.

Calling Gulzar Bhat a ‘rapist’, he said: “Angel Gabriel is not sitting in the court which acquitted Gulzar. Anything can happen here. They might have pressurized witnesses.” He said the acquittal of Gulzar peer is ‘is a certificate to all those who lure and rape girls here’.

On being asked whether his party would challenge the verdict, he said: “Where shall we go? There aren’t divine courts here. Where are those judges who will do justice? We don’t trust this judiciary. We have seen this judiciary. It dances on the tunes of government. Though we don’t say all judges are same. But there are some who murder the justice.”
He alleged that police ‘might have taken the case lightly’. “At times, they don’t bring witnesses on time,” he claimed.
The JeI spokesman said his party would aware people about the ‘thugs disguising as peers’ and would also approach religious parties and amalgams of Kashmir. He called Gulzar an anti-people and anti-Islam. “He is an illiterate. He has no knowledge of Islam. He has no right to take the name of Islam. What religion would he propagate when he was involved in devilish acts?” he questioned.
“It is sickening on the part of those people who call these thugs ‘peer’. All the religious parties and amalgams had condemned the Gulzar peer in one voice. When he is not religious before those (religious) parties, how come he is religious before the judge Thee are judges who don’t know about ablution despite being Muslims,” he added.