Faith Healer Convicted For 'Unnatural Offences' With Minors in Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar: A faith healer in Jammu and Kashmir was convicted on Monday for committing ‘unnatural offences’ with children who visited him for religious lessons.

Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore, Mir Wajahat convicted Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).

A case was filed against Sheikh at the Bomai police station in 2016 by the father of one of the victims, according to the prosecution.

"By dominating their will, manipulating their psyche and exerting control, he subjected their bodies, minds and souls to persistent acts of brutality over the years, shrouding his crimes in ostentation while inflicting upon them the unbearable shame of his misconduct," the court said in its order.

“Accordingly, the accused, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, is convicted under section 377, RPC for committing unnatural offences against PW3 and PW8. The established legal principles governing sexual offences leave no room for doubt regarding the accused's guilt. He subjected PW3 and PW8 to unnatural sexual intercourse during their minority, exploiting their vulnerability under the guise of offering blessings.” the court added.

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The court noted that prosecution witnesses (four, five, seven, nine, and eleven) bravely shared their distressing experiences of suffering.

The Court said, "Their testimonies remain unwaveringly consistent. However, this judgment refrains from extensive elaboration or deliberation, solely to uphold the sanctity of the impending investigation, which must proceed after the registration of separate FIRs for PW4, PW5, PW7, PW9, PW11, or PW12, who, though not examined, may also be a victim, alongside any other individual seeking their rightful justice against the accused," 

“If this judgment serves as a catalyst for those silent voices who have long endured unspeakable trauma, struggled in the shadows of despair and now look toward the law with the last vestiges of hope, then justice has, in some measure, already begun to prevail,” court added.

After careful examination of the evidence, legal principles and procedural fairness, the court said it finds that the testimonies of all victims other than PW3 and PW8, alongside PW1 and PW2, have been crucial in establishing a consistent pattern of abuse within the same time-frame, place and zone.

(with agency inputs)