'Disgusting Act': Court Denies Bail For Man Who Raped Retired Tourist In Kashmir

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-06-30 15:46:20 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-06-30 16:30:25

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A court in Indian-administered Kashmir has denied bail to a man accused of sexually assaulting a 70-year-old tourist in the region, in a case that has spotlighted vulnerabilities of elderly visitors to the valley.

The man, who is in his early 20s and unemployed, was charged with sexually assaulting the woman after gagging her and tying her to a tree in April this year.

The victim, a retired government officer, had been visiting the region's main city of Srinagar with her daughter-in-law and two grandsons. They had gone for a walk near their rented accommodation, and the woman was allegedly assaulted in a forested area in Pahalgam, a resort town 96 kilometres south of Srinagar.

The accused had been arrested after the victim's son-in-law filed a complaint the next day. He had been denied bail earlier but appealed and was granted a bail order by a trial court, which was again stayed by the high court during the week.

"The act is disgusting and condemnable," the high court said, according to Indian news site The Wire. "The circumstances prima facie reveal that the incident is not only of serious and grave nature but the moral fabric of society needs to be protected."

The high court denied the man bail, saying the investigation was still ongoing and "there is sufficient ground to believe that the accused may tamper with the evidence and threaten the witnesses".

The region has increasingly become a tourism hotspot, but incidents of crime, especially against women, have occasionally shocked visitors. Last month, a woman astrophysicist from Kashmir, jailed for killing her paramour, was arrested for killing her own sister in a fit of jealousy.

Local media have criticised the lack of safety for women and girls in the region, where harassment is often exacerbated by the presence of armed security forces.

The man will be held in custody until at least September 27, when the court will hear the case again.

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