House owner booked in Bagh-e-Mehtab prostitution case

SRINAGAR — Police on Tuesday said that the house owner, where the prostitution racket was busted, has been booked under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act.

In a tweet, Srinagar Police spokesman said, “Owner of the house used for immoral activities namely Altaf Hussain Afaki son of Asadullah Afaki, resident of Chanapora arrested under Section 3 of Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act 1956 (ITPA). Proceedings started for formal attachment/sealing of house as per Section 18 of ITPA.”

It’s pertinent to mention that a prostitution racket in a rented accommodation at Bagh-e-Mehtab was busted yesterday.

Police had said that two persons running this racket were arrested, namely Irshad Ahmad Bhat of Pampore and Mohd Shafi Hajam of Karimabad Pulwama. Four female sex workers (all locals of Srinagar) and two ‘customers’ were detained.

Meanwhile, an FIR was registered at Police Station Chanapora Srinagar.

House owner claims tenant verification was already under process

Altaf Hussain Afaqi, owner of the now infamous house at Bagh-e-Mehtab in Srinagar outskirts where police arrested eight persons, including two kingpins, four sex workers and two customers, during a raid today refuted allegations against him as totally baseless sans any logic.

Taking to the news agency KNT, Altaf said, “First of all, it’s wrongly propagated that I own three houses while as I only own a house at Lal Nagar Channapora and there is no property in Charar-e-Sharif that belongs to me.”

Regarding the Bagh-e-Mehtab house, he said the property actually is owned by his spouse. Elaborating further Altaf Hussain said that he had two parties as tenants at the Bagh-e-Mehtab house.

He said the upper storey of Bagh-e-Mehtab house was taken on rent by people associated with Life Insurance Corporation and he had already filled the tenancy particulars on the prescribed format obtained from Police Station Channapora.

He said the infamous tenant party had only occupied the ground floor just two weeks back and he had hastened to get a tenant verification form from Police Station Channapora in this regard.

Altaf said he was down with Covid on March 27, 2023 and was bedridden at home under the treatment of Government Primary Health Centre Channapora Srinagar. He claimed to be in possession of the doctor’s prescription letter from the PHC Chanapora with the dates mentioned and also possesses detailed evidence of tenancy verification documents.

Still suffering from a lack of stamina, body ache, and having Covid-like symptoms, Altaf regretted the negative media coverage depicting his alleged negligence.

Without anybody having reached him for facts, he requested the media to carry his side of the story too.