Seminary head held for raping minors

Police spokesperson said,The accused has been arrested. The police have registered a case of rape against Bhat in Khansahib police station.

The statements of the victims have been recorded before the Chief Judicial Magistrate,Budgam,and the victims have been medically examined.

It statements corroborates the complaint, the police said,adding that the victims belong to different districts of the Valley.

Bhat was running a seminary for girls in Budgam and claimed to impart religious teachings to the girls.

In some of the advertisements published by him,he claimed to have gained Muarifat a stage in Sufism where a person is said to have mystical knowledge of spiritual truth. Known to his followers as Syed Gulzar Qalandar,the godman had followers in different parts of Kashmir and many videos of his preaching have been posted on the YouTube.

The seminary was running from the past several years and police apprehends that some more minor girls could have been sexually exploited during their stay there.

Police spokesperson added,The police are gathering evidence and some more revelations are expected.