'Moral Collapse': J&K Court Denies Bail To Man For Raping 70-Year-Old Tourist In Pahalgam

Last Updated:June 30, 2025, 14:20 IST

A 70-year-old widow, who was visiting Pahalgam with her son's family, was gagged and raped on April 11. The court delivered a scathing remark on the moral fabric of society.

The court denied bail to the man accused of raping a 70-year-old tourist in Pahalgam. (Representational Image)

A local court in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, has rejected the bail plea of a man accused of raping a 70-year-old tourist in Pahalgam, noting that the severity of the allegations, ongoing investigation and the evidence don’t support the granting of the bail.

The court also delivered a scathing remark on the moral fabric of society and said the criminal incident is a reflection of the prevailing “depravity and sick mentality" in the society, adding that the elderly guest was “treated so shockingly in a land of saints and seers" that she would forever regret her choice to visit Kashmir.

The alleged crime occurred on April 11, when the 70-year-old widow from Maharashtra was enjoying the scenic beauty of Pahalgam with her son’s family. The court order noted that the woman was alone in her hotel room when the accused barged in, gagged her mouth and raped her before fleeing through the window.

The accused later approached the court seeking bail on the grounds that the police harboured some personal grudge against him and his father, on account of which he has been falsely implicated in the case.

The sexual assault was so brutal that the old lady remained in pain for days together, the court said, adding that the investigation in the case prima facie revealed the commission of an offence “in a highly dastardly manner."

‘Highest Degree Of Depravity’

Principal Sessions Judge, Tahir Khurshid Raina, said, “It is not an isolated act to be ignored, but a reflection of a highest degree of depravity and sick mentality prevailing in the society, which must bow its head in shame and invites a serious introspection as to what it stood for, and how that has now collapsed."

The court lamented the moral collapse in society after the incident and expressed concern that it is “hopelessly getting eroded on various fronts".

“No sooner the sheet-anchors, conscious keepers, watch dogs, and philanthropists of this society will rise to the occasion to check what is going wrong on the moral front of the society, the better will be for saving the Kashmir as the paradise on earth in its true sense," said Justice Raina.

“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 said Jammu and Kashmir’s rich cultural values and excellent hospitality have attracted tourists from across the world, but the heinous crime “cast a shadow over the said legacy of Kashmir" and Pahalgam. The court voiced its dismay over the episode saying the incident was unfortunate and reprehensible and should have shaken the conscience of this society.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

Read More

Location :

Anantnag, India, India

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