GILGIT: Following the shock and grief over the Raja Kashan murder case, the Gilgit administration on Tuesday banned the entry of minors into cybercafés, gaming shops, and snooker clubs across the district.
Separate notifications issued by the Danyore and Gilgit subdivisions said the decision was taken after repeated complaints from residents that children under 18, particularly school students, were frequently found at such establishments where they engaged in drugs and “unethical videos and websites”.
“Through this notice, children under 18 years of age are banned from entering net cafes, gaming shops and snooker clubs and from using internet and gaming facilities,” the notification read.
The administration directed all business operators to strictly ensure that minors under 18 are not allowed entry or use of internet facilities without presence of their guardians.
The notification warned that any cyber cafe, gaming shop or snooker club found allowing minors under 18 to use internet or gaming services would face immediate sealing under the law, while the owners would face imprisonment.
What we know about Raja Kashan murder case?
The move comes following the suspected murder of Raja Kashan Fida, son of Raja Fida and a resident of Yasin currently living in Konodas, Gilgit, allegedly by his friends.
While talking to HUM News English, Gilgti SSP Ishaq Hussain said they received a complaint from Kashan’s family that he had not returned home after 9pm on September 13.
He said acting on the complaint, the City Police Station House Officer reviewed CCTV footages in the area, which showed two individuals — Shahid Hassan, a resident of Chilas currently living in Skarkoi, Gilgit, and Shehran Ali, a resident of Skardu currently living in Burmas, Gilgit — taking the victim with them.
The SSP said after three hours, they were spotted in the CCTV footage again but Kashan was not with them.
“When summoned for interrogation, they initially denied knowledge of his whereabouts. However, culprits always do something suspicious after the act and Shahid Hassan did the same. After the incident, he contacted some individuals saying that ‘I’m searching for him as he was supposed to go to Hunza. He had asked me for my bike and some money but I can’t find him.’ This made him suspicious,” he added.
The SSP said the victim’s mobile phone was recovered from their possession. He said Shahid Hassan also played snooker after the incident.
Hussain said that when they interrogated them “strictly”, they told the actual story.
Boy jumped into river to escape sexual assault
“They told us that they had taken the victim on a bike ride to the Skarkoi riverside, where he was made to speak to another man on mobile while the loudspeaker was on, who accused him of having a sexually bad character.
They said that when they told him to get involved in a sexual act with suspect Shahid Hassan, he fired a gunshot in the air to threaten him and make him compromise,” he added.
Hussain said, according to the suspects, the victim jumped into the Gilgit river and disappeared.
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The SSP said they have taken physical remand of the suspects and the search is on for the body. “Once we recover the body, things will be clear.”