While the candle flames of protesters seeking justice for the eight-year-old Kathua girl continue to burn strong, another horrific case of rape was unearthed in Jammu and Kashmir. On April 18, Newslaundry published a story highlighting a sex racket in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district where the victim said Peoples Democratic Party Member of Legislative Assembly of Noorabad Majid Padder knew the kingpin who ran the sex racket.

The context

On January 21, 16-year-old Abda’s* parents filed an FIR stating that their daughter had been missing for seven days. Abda was recovered on the same day while she was returning from Jammu. After initial investigation, five people have been arrested in relation to the case.

Early this February, Abda* gave a statement to the media that went viral. In the video, she sat with her face covered, narrating how she was threatened to go to Jammu about six times, drugged and raped multiple times.

While speaking to the media she also mentioned the name of PDP MLA, Abdul Majeed Padder from Noorabad constituency of Kulgam. When Newslaundry spoke to Abda she once again clarified that while Padder had never raped or even met her, the MLA was in constant touch with Meema, the woman who trafficked Abda and other girls. She also said Meema had visited the MLA’s house.

Abda also confessed that in her statement to the police or court, she did not name the MLA because during the initial investigation, an SHO in Kulgam, Gowhar Ali told her not to leave out Majid Padder’s name as it would create “too much hungama [furore]”.

Majeed Padder clarifies his stance

A day after the story was published, the MLA spoke to Newslaundry where he claimed that he had no involvement in the said case. Sitting in a tracksuit in the corner of his office in Srinagar, the MLA said he had to postpone his trip to Jammu where the Cabinet was being reshuffled, just so he could clear the air regarding this case.

“I don’t know this minor girl, I have never met her,” said Padder. After clarifying that the girl had said the same about him, we asked him if he knew Meema and what his relationship with her was. “I have no relationship with Meema. She is from my constituency. She is my voter and my party worker. Nothing else.” According to Padder, Abda has been forced to take his name while speaking to the media.

With regard to the SHO in Kulgam, Gowhar Ali, the MLA said “I don’t know him. I have never called him for any help. The police are investigating everyone who has been mentioned in the FIR. I have full trust on the J&K police. My name has never been mentioned,” said Padder.

In the one-hour long conversation where Padder clarified his stance, another man sat next to him. For the initial 15, minutes he sat quietly. Then he interrupted and said, “Madam your story was very one sided”. In response to this, I clarified to the man that I had attempted to reach out to the MLA multiple times, but in vain.  

The man went on to say that the MLA is a father of two girls, a father-in-law and a very innocent man.

The man introduced himself as a “sarkari [government] journalist”.  When asked about his relationship with Padder, he said, “I know Majid saab since 1996, ever since I started my journalism career. I used to visit him to take his sound bites,” he said. For reasons known only to him, the man decided to clarify that he had never smoked, consumed alcohol or been involved with women.

After half an hour, the man finally introduced himself Qazi Noor Ahmad, a journalist who worked for “six to seven agencies”, including DD1.

While we were there to interview Padder, Noor Ahmad who was neither the MLA’s personal assistant nor worked for him in anyway (as he claimed) kept interfering in the conversation to emphasise what an innocent man the MLA was.

In the end, Noor Ahmad also added that if Padder was guilty, he would be the first to write against him but “he is a father, he is innocent”.

Until proven guilty by law, indeed the allegations against MLA Majid Paddar remain just that — allegations. While one cannot dub him guilty, the confidence with which Noor Ahmad has declared him innocent is puzzling to say the least.