Following the charge, a visibly upset Abdullah said in the house that he was guilty until proven innocent and submitted his resignation to Governor N.N. Vohra Tuesday but was asked to stay on.

The sensational sex scandal broke in April 2006 after police discovered two VCDs showing Kashmiri women being sexually exploited. It snowballed into a massive racket that allegedly involved two ministers of the then Congress-PDP government, senior police and paramilitary officers and influential businessmen.

Forty-three women, including a minor, were being allegedly exploited by the powerful establishment, prompting violent protests with mainstream and separatist groups joining hands.

Following the public outrage, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court intervened and directed the CBI to handle the probe. The CBI later presented a chargesheet and a trial is underway at a sessions court in Punjab.

The CBI had arrested G.M. Mir and Raman Mattoo, both ministers in the then Congress-PDP government, besides Iqbal Khandey, the former principal secretary to then chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.