Got Enough Evidences To Frame Bhat: Police

SRINAGAR – Police today said that they have gathered “enough evidence” to frame ‘rapist dervish’ for his immoral activities.

“We have gathered enough evidence now to implicate the fake and immoral person who posed as a mystic in the area from last 10years,” Sub-Division Police Officer, Khan Sahib, Bashir Ahmad told Kashmir Observer.

 “During investigations, we heard some dreadful stories and acts done by this rapist person. He would lure minor girls, mostly uneducated, into such immoral acts. And he would keep the educated ones for motivating them,” he said. “We have got some other leads also but this is not the right time to talk about that. Things will be crystal clear soon.”

 Police said that Bhat, who now prefixes “Syed” to his name, was operating in the area for the past 10 years.

“He has built four story massive bogus seminary in the Gondebal area of Shamas Abad, where hundreds of girls were invited apparently to study religion,” the SDPO, who is also the investigating officer said.

He said that after putting the official phone numbers in public for further help, the police have received “massive response” from people complaining about further illicit activities of the accused

He said, one of his accomplices identified as Abdul Gani Ganai of Yaar village of Budgam who was working as a cook at the bogus seminary had been arrested and searches were being conducted to nab his other aides.

Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Shams-Abad area of central Kashmir’s’ district Budgam, was arrested by the police on Tuesday on charge of raping four of his ‘disciples’ – all minor girls.

The dervish was preaching “mysticism” for the past nearly one decade in different parts of Kashmir region and had garnered a network of followers.

Police said that the major part of the story had begun in December 2012, after some of the minor girls felt that they were sexually exploited. They raised their voice against what they called their “Rehbar”

Police sources have revealed that Bhat’s youngest victim was a 10-year-old girl from south Kashmir and the other three were aged below 18 years.

Avoiding a direct reply as why it took police 10 long years to find the truth, the police officer said, “We had so many complaints coming in but we were looking for a proper time to strike”. 

Police sources however said, it was only after these four minor girls from south Kashmir districts, who first approached the police with a complaint of sexual exploitation which blew the fake dervish’s cover.

The police said the medical examination of the four girls had confirmed that they were raped.

Sources said that the police was trying to identify more possible victims and probing other angels including whether the fake dervish was a part of any network which supplied girls for flesh trade.

A scholar, Moulvi Muhammad Amin, the whistle-blower in the case, alleges that Gulzar would manipulate verses of the Quran to hide the fact that adultery and fornication were punishable in Islam. He alleges that Gulzar has so far raped nearly 200 girls at the seminary.

Ironically, Bhat was a frequent speaker on local cable channels delivering lectures on religion and mysticism. He also widely advertised about himself in vernacular dailies claiming to have achieved ‘Ma’rifat’, a mystical intuitive knowledge of the spiritual truth. The seminary was named as “Noorian-Syed-un-Nisa”

Police said Bhat, a divorcee in his early forties, lured the minor girls by telling them that they would be “purified” by having a relationship with him.

 ‘Bab’ Is Innocent: Family  

Gulzar’s elderly mother said his son was purely a religious person since his childhood

“He is an innocent person. Somebody is playing with his character. But God will teach them a lesson. Go and ask anybody in this village, how helpful, he has been for them,” Rehti Begum, mother of the tainted dervish told Kashmir Observer at her residence.

“He is preaching Islam for last 16 years, we don’t accept any allegations against our Bab,” Bhat’s brother, Fayaz Ahmad said.

 He said that he would meditate only in his room for the whole day.  He said it was in the last three years that he began to expand his activities. He took out rallies, addressed people in shrines and mosques. His fan following grew so much that people would wait for entire day to see him.  

Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now

MONTHLY	Rs 100
YEARLY	Rs 1000
LIFETIME	Rs 10000

CLICK FOR DETAILS