After the rape of a 70-year-old tourist in Pahalgam, the court criticised the declining moral values in Kashmir, stating, “Mere meadows, mountains, rivers will not rescue Kashmir” as a desirable tourist destination anymore.
A court in Anantnag district, Kashmir, denied bail on Friday to a man accused of raping a 70-year-old tourist from Maharashtra during her stay at a hotel in Pahalgam.
Principal Sessions Judge Tahir Khurshid Raina urged a moment of reflection on the declining moral values in the Valley, stating,
“No sooner the sheet-anchors, conscious keepers, watch dogs, and philanthropists of this society will rise to the occasion to check what is going wrong on the moral front of the society, the better will be for saving the Kashmir as the paradise on earth in its true sense.”
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The court referred to the victim as a “revered guest” in the “land of saints and seers,” expressing sorrow that “she was treated in such a shabbily and shockingly manner that she would regret choosing Kashmir as her vacation spot.”
“The alleged incident is highly unfortunate, condemnable by all possible words, and ought to have jolted the conscience of this society which claims its moorings to be based on rich ethical values and culture but now stands shaken to the hilt.”
The court emphasized that this case is not an isolated incident but a disturbing indication of the broader moral decline in the region.
“It is not an isolated act to be ignored, but a reflection of a 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, and how that has now collapsed.”
The incident in question took place at Hotel Chinar Inn in Pahalgam, where the elderly victim was staying with her son’s family. According to the police investigation, the accused unlawfully entered her hotel room while she was alone, gagged her with a blanket, raped her, inflicted injuries, and escaped through the window.
The attack was so brutal that the victim, a senior widow, was bedridden and in severe pain for several days.
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A first information report (FIR) was filed under Sections 64 and 331(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Pahalgam Police Station. The accused sought bail through his lawyer, Advocate Suhail Beg, claiming he was falsely implicated and that there was bias from the police due to personal enmity.
He also pointed out that no test identification parade (TIP) had been conducted and that he was cooperating with the investigation.
In his ruling, Judge Raina opened with a poetic and poignant introduction that highlighted Kashmir’s renowned hospitality, contrasting it with the seriousness of the crime. He noted that while Kashmir is celebrated for its cultural richness and warmth, this incident “glaringly stigmatizes” that legacy.
The judge acknowledged that the investigation is ongoing but stated that the case diary, medical reports, forensic evidence, and the victim’s testimony prima facie support the allegations of rape in an “exceptionally brutal manner.”
While rejecting the accused’s claims, the court stressed that crimes of this nature require thorough judicial examination and cannot be dismissed lightly.
The judge expressed concern about the decline of moral integrity in society,
“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 better it would be if the sheet-anchors, conscience keepers, watchdogs, and philanthropists of this society rise to the occasion to check what is going wrong on the moral front.”
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