Sri Nagar : Around 150 supporters of 'imposter' peer, Gulzar Ahmad Bhat were taken into custody by police on Thursday morning in Srinagar. The supporters, comprised both men and women from Budgam, were demanding an immediate release of their "spiritual leader".

As the protesters reached Srinagar's press colony and started demanding Gulzar's release, the already deployed police swung into action and supporters of "scandalous peer" were bundled into police vehicles. "The protesters tried to create law and order problem, because of which they were put under preventive custody," police officials said.

Gulzar Ahmad, a self styled Muslim Darvish (holy man) from Budgam's Shamsabad was arrested by police on Tuesday on charges of raping young Kashmiri girls on the pretext of purifying and revitalizing the sexual power of women under a subtle guidance of Quranic knowledge of Behast (Islamic heaven).

Known as revered 'Sayed Gulzar', he ran a residential institution for girls which offered a two-months course in Islamic studies for 'Purification of Sex' in Khansahib area of Budgam district in Kashmir valley.

Sources say that four girl students, all aged under 18, complained to the police that 'Sayed Gulzar' indulged in sexual activities with them at hostel and most of the time he invited other persons from outside to perform group sex inside the Muslim girls' hostel.