Central Kashmir: Doctor, his associates arrested for terminating pregnancy of raped minor girl

Srinagar: Police on Monday said that a doctor and five of his “associates” were arrested for illegal termination of pregnancy of a minor girl.

“In a prompt action, on a report from Victim Liaisoning Officer, deputed with a minor rape victim in a previous case FIR No.14/2021 U/S 376 IPC that the girl (name with held) has been subjected to compulsive delivery of baby by some unknown doctor and that the infant may have been killed during such illegal procedure, Ganderbal Police filed a fresh case FIR No.24 of 2021 U/S 326, 312 IPC at Police Station Ganderbal and initiated investigation into the case,” a police official said in a statement.

“SSP Ganderbal Khalil Ahmad Poswal constituted a team under the supervision of DySP Head Quarters Ganderbal Dr Abdul Majid including SHO Ganderbal Khurshid Ahmad Awan to nab the accused,” the official said, adding, “The victim girl revealed that her family members took her to accused Doctor’s clinic in Sopore where she was subjected to illegal termination of pregnancy.”

The accused doctor was subsequently arrested and identified as Dr Ghulam Nabi Bhat of new colony Sopore, the official said.

“Further leads into this gruesome crime also led to the arrest of five other persons assisting the doctor including Altaf Khan, Ulfat Wife of Altaf Khan, Haseena Begum Wife of Abdul Gani Khan Resident of Dedrambagh, Ganderbal;Bashir Ahmad Kumar of Baghi Mehtab and Afrooza Wife of Ghaznafar Ali Hajam of Alamgari Bazar for providing logistic and technical assistance in carrying out illegal procedure nearly at term stage,” the official said, adding, “Investigation in the case is going on and more arrests are expected.”