Key Takeaways
- A faith healer has been convicted under Section 377 for abusing minors in north Kashmir.
- The conviction aims to serve as a catalyst for other victims to come forward and seek justice.
- The court has identified multiple other victims whose testimonies supported a pattern of systematic abuse.
Srinagar: A Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in north Kashmir has convicted a faith healer, under Section 377 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) for repeatedly sexually abusing minors.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Baramulla at Sopore Mir Wajahat on Monday convicted Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh under Section 377 for committing unnatural offenses against minors.
“The prosecution has established all ingredients of the offense beyond reasonable doubt, warranting conviction for victimizing PW8 & PW3. The defense has failed to create any substantial doubt that would merit an acquittal. Accordingly, the accused, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, is convicted under Section 377 RPC for committing unnatural offenses against PW3 and PW8,” the CJM order read.
“The established legal principles governing sexual offenses leave no room for doubt regarding the accused’s guilt. He subjected PW3 and PW8 to unnatural sexual intercourse during their minority, exploiting their vulnerability under the guise of offering blessings. By dominating their will, manipulating their psyche, and exerting control, he subjected their bodies, minds, and souls to persistent acts of brutality over the years, shrouding his crimes in ostentation while inflicting upon them the unbearable shame of his misconduct. He exploited his position as a self-proclaimed faith healer to manipulate and sexually abuse victims under the pretext of offering spiritual blessings,” the order added.
The case surfaced in 2016 when a complainant approached Police Station Bomai Sopore on March 2. His son, studying in 10th-standard, had been repeatedly visiting Sheikh, who called himself a pir. The victim revealed that Sheikh had been engaging in unnatural acts with children, including himself, over several years.
An FIR under Section 377 RPC was registered, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the Superintendent of Police, Sopore to conduct a thorough probe into the allegations of sexual abuse against multiple victims..
The SIT, comprising senior investigators, child protection officers, and forensic experts, collected evidence, recorded witness statements under Sections 161 and 164-A J&K CrPC, and conducted forensic examinations.
Several victims later came forward, revealing a pattern of abuse from 2012 to 2016. The accused allegedly intimidated them with threats of divine punishment to ensure their silence.
Based on substantial evidence, including victim testimonies, forensic reports, and site inspections, a chargesheet was filed by J&K police on June 15, 2017.
The counsel for the accused claimed that the case was fabricated due to a financial dispute, but the court found no supporting evidence.
The CJM court also identified multiple other victims whose testimonies supported a pattern of systematic abuse.
It also recommended separate FIRs for these cases to ensure procedural fairness
“PW4, PW5, PW7, PW9, and PW11 have courageously recounted harrowing accounts of their suffering. Their testimonies remain unwaveringly consistent; however, this judgment refrains from extensive elaboration or deliberation, solely to uphold the sanctity of the impending investigation, which must proceed after the registration of separate FIRs for PW4, PW5, PW7, PW9, PW11, or PW12—who, though not examined, may also be a victim, alongside any other individual seeking their rightful justice against the accused.”, the court remarked.
The court observed that justice should serve as a catalyst for other victims to come forward.
“If this judgment serves as a catalyst for those silent voices—who have long endured unspeakable trauma, struggled in the shadows of despair, and now look toward the law with the last vestiges of hope—then justice has, in some measure, already begun to prevail,” the observed.
