A court in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, has denied bail to Zubair Ahmad Bhat, a man accused of raping a 70-year-old tourist from Maharashtra in Pahalgam. Principal Sessions Judge Tahir Khurshid Raina rejected the bail application, expressing serious concerns about the crime's nature and its impact on society. The judge also made a scathing commentary on the moral values of society, describing the incident as a reflection of "depravity and sick mentality".

The alleged crime occurred in April when the victim, a widow, was visiting Pahalgam with her family. According to the prosecution, the accused entered her hotel room while she was alone, gagged her, raped her, caused injuries, and fled through the window. The court was told that the assault was so brutal that the elderly woman was unable to sit or move and remained in pain for days.

Judge Raina stated that the woman, as a "revered guest" in the "land of saints and seers," was "treated so shockingly" that she would forever regret her choice to visit Kashmir. The court noted that the medical evidence, forensic reports, and the victim's statement prima facie support the rape allegations, countering the bail arguments presented by the accused.

The accused's counsel argued that he was falsely implicated due to personal enmity with the police and that no test identification parade had been conducted. However, the court emphasized that the severity of the allegations, the ongoing investigation, and the collective impact of the evidence did not support granting bail at this stage. The judge also observed that the case diary revealed the commission of the offense in a highly reprehensible manner.

Judge Raina expressed concern about the eroding moral compass of society and called for serious introspection. He stated that the incident had shaken the conscience of a society that claims to be rooted in rich ethical values and culture. The court further added that "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". He urged the "sheet-anchors, conscious keepers, watchdogs, and philanthropists of this society" to address the moral decline to save Kashmir as the "paradise on earth in its truest sense".

The court emphasized that this was not an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader moral collapse. The judge noted that the incident has cast a shadow over Kashmir's legacy of rich cultural values and hospitality, which have historically attracted tourists from around the world.