J&K health minister Shabir Khan quits after molestation allegations

Jammu & Kashmir junior minister of health Shabir Ahmad Khan resigned from the Omar Abdullah government on Friday after allegations against him of sexually assaulting a doctor and wife of a separatist leader. The directions to quit came from the Congress high command. 

‘I have received the resignation of the minister of state for health Shabir Khan and am forwarding the same to the governor for acceptance,’ chief minister Omar Abdullah said on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

A close aide of JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz told reporters that the ‘tainted’ minister was asked to quit by Congress general secretary Ambika Soni, who is also in-charge of J&K. 

Khan was booked late on Thursday for sexually assaulting the doctor and the police are likely to question him soon. Khan, who is from Rajouri in Jammu, is learnt to be trying to get anticipatory bail from the J&K high court. 

Incidentally, the doctor, posted at Pampore health centre, was promoted to the position of block medical officer superseding hundreds of senior doctors last year, a source said. She also happens to be the daughter of a retired police officer from Doda, and has always enjoyed prime postings ever since she married the separatist leader.