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The Pahalgam Valley that saw a heinous terror attack on May 23, that killed 26, including a Nepalese national, is in the news for the rape of a 70-year-old Maharashtra woman tourist as Kashmiri intellectuals have condemned and criticised the act after court rejected the bail petition of the accused with scathing remarks.

According to the information, the rape incident took place on April 11 when accused named Zubair Ahmad broke into her hotel room, gaged her with a blanket, raped and injured her. The assault was so brutal that the victim was unable to sit or move and remained in pain for several days. The incident didn't draw much attention untill the terror attack in Baisaran and the Principal Sessions Judge Court in Anantnag rejected the bail plea of the accused with sharp remarks this Friday. 

Court rejects bail with scathing remarks

While denying him bail, a local court on Friday delivered a scathing remark about the moral fabric of society and said the incident reflects the prevailing "depravity and sick mentality" in society.

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Principal Sessions Judge Anantnag, Tahir Khurshid Raina, said, "This is what she has carried from the Pahalgam for the rest of her life where she had come to enjoy the beauty of Kashmir."

"A revered guest, who was a senior lady, was on her visit to this land of saints and seers, was treated so shabbily and shockingly that for all times to come, she will have remorse over the choice of place she made to spend a period of her old age days with her children," the court said.

"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 added.

Locals condemn attack

Dainik Jagran talked to many intellectuals in this regard, who condemned this incident and expressed their reaction in this way. Everyone called the incident a dark spot on Kashmiriyat and the great culture of Kashmiri hospitality.

Zarif Ahmad Azrif, a writer and poet reacted to the incident, saying, "Such an incident is reprehensible. Our Kashmir valley is the valley of sages and saints. Such shameful incidents should not happen here. Now, if someone does such an act, he should be given such a punishment that other people think a thousand times before doing such a thing. The matter should be investigated at every level."

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Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Association president Babar Choudhary also condemned the incident and said, "This is regrettable for both humanity and Kashmiriyat. This incident has once again tarnished the image of Kashmiris. However, we Kashmiris risk our lives for our guests and our brother Adil Hussain Shah proved this in the Baisaran incident. It is said that one fish pollutes the entire pond. Something similar was done with our guest tourist in Pahalgam. We demand that if the crime is proved, the accused should be given severe punishment."

A social worker named Uwais Shafi said, "The incident is condemnable. We demand death penalty for the person who committed such a heinous crime. If such people in the society who behave like this with mothers and sisters are given a minor punishment and let free, they will become a problem in the society tomorrow. We should raise our voice against this heinous crime and demand a deeper investigation of the case. If the accused did not spare a woman of his mother's age, then how many mothers and daughters would he have made victims of his lust before this?"

Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairman Mohd Yasin Khan said, "As sad as the incident is, what is even more sad is that no one has come to know about it till now. I came to know about it yesterday. The question is why the matter was suppressed and who kept such a serious matter suppressed till now. This should be investigated."

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