The almost forgotten sex scandal in Kashmir returned with a big bang on Monday, with state high court directing CBI to file charge sheets against a minister, two MLAs and 11 other persons including some very senior police officers.

All the 13 persons were let off by CBI during its earlier investigations. The high court gave the direction on a public interest litigation filed by Kashmir Bar association. The association had alleged that CBI did not take the investigations to its logical conclusion and deliberately let off some influential people.

Subsequently, the court ordered that transport minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin, PDP MLA Ghulam Hassan Khan, Congress MLA Yogesh Sawhney and senior police officers including Rajinder Tickoo and Niaz Mehmood also be charge sheeted and prosecuted in the court of chief judicial magistrate Srinagar. The minister is presently in Saudi Arabia for Haj. PDP immediately placed under suspension its legislator Khan.

Last year, CBI had charge sheeted former ministers Raman Mattoo and G A Mir besides some senior officers of police, security forces and the civil administration in the sex scandal. They were arrested and released on bail after several months.

However, the case was later transferred from Srinagar HC to Chandigarh HC.

The sex scandal got exposed after a minor girl came forward alleging that she and some other girls were sexually exploited by politicians and senior officers.