Aabid Hussain

SRINAGAR

Terming the verdict of the Principal Sessions Court Budgam in the Gulzar Ahmad Bhat (Gulzar Peer) case against the Supreme Court guidelines the ‘victim girls’ Saturday said that they will appeal against the decision in the state high court.

Three minor victims exploited by faith-healer, Gulzar in his Budgam seminary, addressing media in Srinagar.
Three minor victims exploited by faith-healer, Gulzar in his Budgam seminary, addressing media in Srinagar.

The girls held a peaceful protest sit in against the court decision and release of Gulzar.

The ‘faith-healer’ from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district Gulzar, was arrested by police in May 2013 after serious accusations of rape. He was acquitted by a principal sessions Judge Syed Tauqeer on Thursday.

Five girls, who had lodged the FIR against Gulzar, reached press enclave to protest against his release.

Terming Gulzar’s release as “injustice to them” the protesting girls said, “the Budgam court has actually released the Dajjal, Gulzar,” adding “it is total injustice to us so we are going to appeal against the decision in the High Court.”

Pertinently, Gulzar was arrested after police received a complaint from at least five minor girls alleging that they have been sexually exploited repeatedly during their stay at an institute run by Gulzar.

“He raped at least over 40 girls in his so called ‘Hujra-e-Khas’, so we wonder how he has been released,” said one of the protesting girls. When asked why only five girls came forward to complaint against Gulzar, they said, “twenty-six girls stood witness in favour of Gulzar saying he has done nothing to them, but we know that Gulzar has also not even left them.”

“The supreme court has clearly ruled that if a girl says that she has been molested or raped by someone the accused should be strongly punished,” the girls said adding “we wonder how and why the witness of five girls was turned down by the Budgam court.”

The protesting girls were aghast as to why their medical certificates also were not given any weight by the Budgam court. “We had produced our medical tests as well but that too were not considered by the court so we have decided to knock the door of the state High court against Gulzar and the Budgam court decision.”

They appealed the civil society to help them in getting justice and “saving other girls”.

“We are going to do whatever we can to get justice, we will appeal in the high court very soon to seek justice,” they said.

The protesting girls said that Gulzar has his followers who help and guide him. “One girl from Uri, Khalida, another from Shamsabad namely Naseema and Jabeena are among the girls who help Gulzar,” the protesting girls alleged.

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