By Prof SK Bhalla
Through the medium of this letter, the attention of Lieutenant Governor, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha is drawn towards criminal activities flourishing under the jurisdiction of Bagh e Bahu police station. There is no denying the fact that despite the knowledge of police, the criminals and anti social elements are proactive running dens of flesh trade, gambling and sale of narcotics in Qasim Nagar and adjoining areas.
To be very specific, one notorious woman Swarna was openly running an inter state prostitution-drug addiction centre in Qasim Nagar locality of Bahu fort area right under the nose of Bagh e Bahu Police Station that couldn’t sniff foul play of immorality. The said woman reportedly used to lure mostly minor girls from Rajouri, Katra, Udhampur, Kathua and adjoining Punjab on pretext of lucrative career to same and later coerced them into prostitution after drugging them.
Inspite of numerous complaints and protests by residents of the area, the police took nearly 20 years to bust a well organized sex-drug racket of Swarna who openly bragged of enjoying clout in the corridors of power and claimed that she is capable of shunting out any police officer/official who dared to act against her immoral activities.
Of late, the woman was booked under POCSO Act and notified as History sheeter with the exertions of SHO Inspector Surinder Raina. For past 20 years, several police officers manned Bagh e Bahu Police station as SHO but no one dared to act against history sheeter Swarna. However, the sigh of relief for residents who were fed up with Immoral activities of Swarna and her gang was short lived as Inspector Raina was immediately transfered to Nowabad police station under the express orders of the most honest SSP of Jammu district Mr. Chandan Kohli. This order is talk of the town.This transfer seems to be an exercise in derailing the investigation as surprisingly, Inspector Raina who was posted as SHO at Bagh e Bahu PS on Jan 30, 2023 was transfered within 16 days after he raided the brothel of Swarna and booked her under POCSO Act on March 8, 2023. What were the compelling reasons for Mr SSP to shift Inspector Raina to another nearby police station is a billion dollar question ?.
As a matter of fact, accused Swarna apart from busted brothel in Qasim Nagar is also runing well knit flesh trade at cozy accommodations in Bhathindi in a flat which is just 300 meter away from Police Station, one in Narwal area behind Masjid and one more located at Greater Kailash in a rented sprawling bungalow. The operations of Swarna are well known to everyone in police and there are apprehensions that she used to send the rescued minor girls to several influential people of Jammu. Still, the police has not arrested the accused persons who repeatedly raped the minor girl for more than one and half months.
Even, the victim girl has named a hotel in Gujjar Nagar where Swarna used to take minor girl for being raped by clients. Transfer of SHO who was handling a sensitive case of exploitation of a minor girl and the giving latitude to the rapists as well as hotelier warrants a thorough investigation and handing over this case to CID to unveil the hidden hands who are trying hard to get this muddy affair hushed up as many heads will roll if the cops honestly deliver in a societal matter.