On a day when provincial chief of police assured stern action against a “spiritual guide” arrested on allegations of raping teenage girls in his seminary, a young disciple of the disgraced darvesh accused three policemen of raping her in custody.
The allegation has given a new twist to the saga of fake spiritual leader Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, who was arrested on May 22 following his surrender before a judge in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. The girl, who was taken into custody on May 23 in Srinagar during a protest demonstration in favour of the “saint” has filed complaint before the same judge accusing three policemen including two officers of raping her in custody.
The “rapist” darvesh was held after four teenage girls deposed in court that Bhat sexually exploited them on pretext of purifying their bodies. The girls were staying at the darvesh’s seminary and undergoing a crash course in spirituality. The crash course was designed by the darvesh himself for his unregistered residential academy.
The girl has alleged that the police forced her to make a false statement against her “spiritual guide”, which she has now retracted.
Police said that six girls have recorded their statements against Bhat and they have direct and indirect evidences that he sexually exploited teenage girls staying in the academy.
However, the unidentified girl from north Kashmir has told the Chief Judicial Magistrate Budgam that folliwng her arrest, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Station House Officer of Khansahib police station and another policeman took her to an isolated location and raped her.
Police have not reacted to the girl’s allegation. The Deputy Superintendent of Police is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the district police to probe allegations against the Gulzar Bhat. The girl has alleged that the policemen forced her to make a statement that Gulzar Bhat has repeatedly raped her at his seminary. The CJM has forwarded the complaint to the Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar for further investigation.
The allegation came to fore, when a group of religious scholars held a meeting with Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Abdul Gani Mir and urged him to take stern action against the fake spiritual guide. “The IGP assured us that the racket would be fully exposed and facts revealed to the public”, a statement of the Majlis-e-Ulema backed by separatist groups said.
Meanwhile, the exclusive residential institution set up by Bhat to impart spiritual education and training to women and teenage girls has been closed down. The unregistered institution — Idara-e-Noor-e-ain Syedatun Nissa Hazrat Fatimatuzzuhra, run in the premises of Gulzar’s ancestral home at Shamasabad in Budgam district was closed down following the allegations and subsequent arrest of Bhat.
It is not known how many girls were on the rolls of the peculiar school that offered two-month crash course on sprirituality.
“The girls were not willing to leave but after the arrest of our bab (master), police and some unknown persons forced them to leave”, said Muhammad Rafiq Dar, an aide of Bhat who says that his master has been framed. Hundreds of girls have reportedly been exploited by the fake spiritual guru.
“The things will settle down and the school will reopen after the truth is established and our leader is freed from jail”, said Nazia Akhtar, an undergraduate girl from the village.
But, there are others who say that the girls have abandoned the school because of the disgrace and realization that they have been misused. Many parents came to the school after the news about Bhat’s arrest spread to take away their girls.
Most of the girls refuse to speak to media on the functioning of the school. “So far six girls have recorded their statements against the fake spiritual leader. We are collecting more and more evidences against him”, a police officer said.