Srinagar, Mar 26: A local court on Friday sent former chief medical officer Dr Ghulam Qadir Sofi, who confessed his presence in the clip which showed him in a compromising position with a woman at his private clinic at Pulwama, to 10 day judicial custody in Central Jail here.
 Police on Thursday formally arrested Sofi after he made his confession and booked him under section 376 (d) RPC.
 The deputy superintendent police Pulwama, Fayaz Ahmad, who is investigating the case presented Sofi before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Pulwama.
 Subsequently, the court granted the remand to the doctor and sent him to 10- day judicial custody in Central Jail Srinagar.
 Senior superintendent of police Pulwama Kifayat Haider told Greater Kashmir, “The accused doctor has been sent to 10 day judicial remand and lodged in Srinagar Central Jail.”
 “Investigation in the case is going on and forensic sciences laboratory reports will be presented before the court very soon.”
 He said the challan against the accused would also be presented in next 15 days.
 When asked to elaborate on the section under which Sofi was booked,  advocate of High Court Syed Reyaz Khawar told Greater Kashmir that  section 376 (d) pertains to intercourse by a member of management or staff of a hospital with any woman in that hospital.
 He said, “If a person being on the management or staff of the hospital takes advantage of his position and has sexual intercourse with that woman in the hospital. Such intercourse not amounting to offence of rape shall be punished with imprisonment for five years and shall also be liable to fine.”
 “It is a non-bailable offence,” he told Greater Kashmir.
 Police had seized the mobile phone with which the entire scene was filmed. Police sources said the tape was filmed in September 2009 by laboratory assistant and a chemist working with the doctor at his clinic.
 They said both the persons had given their witnesses under Section 164 in the court, adding that the confessions of the witnesses were corroborating with the evidence.
 “The investigation will be completed after questioning of the victim (woman) is completed. We would produce challan before the court within 15 days so that accused gets an exemplary punishment of seven years,” they said.
 The government placed the accused doctor under suspension immediately after the tape was made public.
 Subsequently, police registered an FIR 121/2010 against him.
 Sofi is one among the 13 doctors, who had conducted autopsies of Asiya Jan and her sister-in-law Neelofar of Shopian and was charge-sheeted by the CBI.

KHALID GUL ADDS FROM PULWAMA
 On Friday, large number of people assembled outside the Jamia Masjid Pulwama after prayers, chanting slogans against the accused.
 They were demanding stern punishment against the doctor. Carrying placards, they stressed upon the people to launch a sustained campaign against the growing moral waywardness in the society.
 “We should wake up against the moral waywardness and live life in accordance with the religious teachings of Islam,” said president of the Auqaf committee, Pulwama, Javaid Ahmad Malik.
 The Auqaf committee has also sort the help of Imams, religious organizations, police and administration in curbing this menace in the society.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST