States » NorthPosted at: Jun 30 2025 9:01PM


Seventy year old tourist allegedly raped in Pahalgam, district court denies bail to accused

Srinagar, June 30 (UNI) A 70-year-old woman tourist was raped in Pahalgam of Kashmir and the rapist fled after the crime.

The incident on April 11, eleven days before the gruesome killing of 26 tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, was described by a court in Anantnag district as a reflection of moral decay that threatens the region's cultural integrity and reputation as a tourist destination.
The tourist resort of Pahalgam falls in Anantnag district of South Kashmir.

The tourist from Maharashtra was assaulted in a hotel after the accused allegedly entered her hotel room, gagged her and raped her while her family members were away. The accused fled the scene jumping out from the window.

A court in Anantnag district on June 27 denied bail to the accused describing the incident as a reflection of "moral decay" and "sick mentality". The judge observed that Kashmir's natural beauty alone cannot sustain its appeal as a tourist destination unless the moral fabric of society is preserved.

The court was told that the accused, taking advantage of her being alone in her hotel room, entered the room, gagged her mouth with a blanket, raped her, caused her injuries and then fled through the window of the room.
So brutal was the sexual assault on her that the old lady was unable to sit and move and remained in pain for days together, the court was told.
The court observed that the woman was 'treated so shockingly' and the incident was not only as a criminal act but moral collapse, especially when the victim was an elderly tourist visiting Kashmir.

“A revered guest, a senior lady, visiting the land of saints and seers, was treated so shockingly that she will carry remorse for choosing this place to spend her old age," the court said.

Describing the incident as a “reflection of depravity and sick mentality,’’ the court cited the ongoing investigation and available evidence as key reasons for rejecting the bail of the accused.

The court also referred to the ongoing investigation and prima facie evidence, including the complainant’s statement, eyewitness accounts and medical and forensic reports, to deny bail. The judge noted that nothing in the bail application or the arguments presented justified the release of the accused.

In his order the Judge said the incident is ‘’highly unfortunate, condemnable by all possible words and ought to have jolted the conscience of the society which claims its moorings to be based on rich ethical values and culture- but now stands shaken to the hilt.’’

“It is not an isolated act to be ignored, but a reflection of the highest degree of depravity and sick mentality prevailing in the society-which must bow its head down in shame and invites a serious introspection as to what it stood for.’’
The accused had moved an application for bail on the grounds that the police harboured some personal grudge against him and his father on account of which he has been falsely implicated in the case.
The court, however, said, “This court does not legally reconcile with the prayer for bail at this stage, which is accordingly rejected.”
“Mere meadows, mountains, lush green fields, forests, springs, rivers, rivulets and gardens will not come to the rescue of Kashmir as a desired tourist destination,” the judge observed.

The incident has cast a shadow over the said legacy of Kashmir-- it unfortunately also relates to Pahalgam which is not known in the world today for good reasons, contrary to the status it enjoyed on the tourist map of the country and the world, the court said. UNI RB SSP
Tags: #Seventy year old tourist allegedly raped in Pahalgam# district court denies bail to accused
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