NEW DELHI, May 5: A raging sex scandal said to involve several Indian politicians and security officials in Jammu and Kashmir forced the closure of shops and government offices in Srinagar on Friday and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed the affair indicated a conspiracy to crush the region’s culture.

An agitated mob brought down the house of the alleged prime accused in the racket involving top politicians, bureaucrats and police officials in the state, sources said.

Witnesses said since early morning, angry mobs had started gathering at different places in various localities of downtown Srinagar.

Some news reports quoted police in Srinagar as saying that some of the latter marched to Chinkran Mohalla, where they ransacked and later razed the house of a woman they say is lynchpin in the sex racket. She is already under police custody.

The woman and two youths allegedly produced a 30-second pornographic CD that brought the scandal to light in March. However, the affair seems to have shaken the state after a girl claimed that she was forced into prostitution and that some politicians and security officials were allegedly involved.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), federal crime sleuths.

The Mirwaiz told a Friday congregation in Srinagar that the incident showed up the true colours of those who claimed to represent the cause of Kashmir. “They want to crush the only defence unarmed people have against a powerful state — their honour and self-respect.”

The Mirwaiz said Kashmir was a land of great Sufi masters, Muslim saints and noble people. “There is no room here for the vulgar behaviour foisted on our people by those who want to crush our self-respect.”