Police have launched an international manhunt for Kasir Bashir, 50, a convicted member of a Rochdale grooming gang who vanished on the eve of his trial and may have fled Britain illegally.
Bashir, a former market stall holder from Napier Street East, Oldham, was found guilty in his absence last month of four offences including two counts of rape and two counts of indecency with a child. He was one of seven men convicted of sexually exploiting two vulnerable teenage girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006.
The 50-year-old has been on Greater Manchester Police’s “critical wanted” list since January when he failed to appear at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, despite complying with strict bail conditions up to the Thursday before his trial began.
Pattern of Systematic Abuse
The court heard how Bashir and his co-defendants preyed on girls as young as 13 with “deeply troubled home lives”, grooming them as “sex slaves” through a campaign of manipulation. The gang plied their victims with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes before expecting them to have sex “whenever and wherever” they wanted.
Bashir, who was in his mid-twenties at the time of the offences, repeatedly raped and abused a teenager in a dark, dingy flat in Oldham. The victim, known as Girl B to protect her identity, was also taken to the basement of a Rochdale clothes shop where she was forced to have sex with multiple men on a filthy mattress.
“I just lay there and let them do what they did. I’d just close my eyes and pray it would all be over,” Girl B told the court during her testimony.
Cowardly Flight from Justice
Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock, senior investigation officer on Operation Lytton, condemned Bashir’s actions: “One defendant, Kasir Bashir, cowardly avoided the whole trial and thought he could escape justice. This is in stark contrast to the survivors who gave brave and painful testimony over the four-month trial in front of the men that so badly abused them.
The Manchester Evening News reported that Bashir had surrendered his passport as part of his bail conditions, meaning if he has left Britain, he did so through illegitimate means. This would make tracking him significantly more difficult for authorities.
Three of Bashir’s co-defendants – Mohammed Shahzad, Naheem Akram and Nisar Hussain – were also out on bail when he disappeared. Police received intelligence that the trio were planning to flee the country and they were subsequently remanded in custody ahead of the trial.
Political Pressure Mounts
Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, has written to both the Ministry of Justice and Greater Manchester Police demanding answers about the bail decision. It is deeply alarming that this disgusting grooming gang member absconded on the eve of his trial,” he stated.
“I have written to both the Ministry of Justice and GMP to ask exactly why a suspected child rapist like Bashir was not considered more of a flight risk or more of a danger to society. There are serious questions to answer about the assessment of his suitability for bail and why he was not remanded in custody.”
Waugh added that he had asked the justice minister to check whether there could be a review of the bail decision by the Attorney General, given the public interest in the case.
Wider Context of Abuse
The convictions are part of Operation Lytton, a major investigation by Greater Manchester Police’s specialist Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team. The operation has so far resulted in 37 suspects being charged with 303 offences, with five men convicted in 2023 and sentenced to a combined 71.5 years imprisonment.
Detective Superintendent Alan Clitherow of Greater Manchester Police acknowledged historic failures: “There was information at the time that police and other agencies could, and should, have done something with and we didn’t. The way those victims were dealt with at the time is indefensible and inexcusable.
According to a recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Greater Manchester Police is currently conducting 59 live investigations into group-based child sexual exploitation, involving 714 victims and 1,099 suspects.
Victims’ Courage Recognised
Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC praised the bravery of the victims, noting that both girls had given evidence despite the traumatic nature of their experiences. The court heard how the abuse had devastating impacts on their lives, with Girl B becoming pregnant at just 14 years old – the father was identified as Bashir.
Six other men were convicted alongside Bashir: Mohammed Zahid, 64, known as “Bossman”, who was found guilty of 20 offences; Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, guilty of nine offences; Roheez Khan, 39, guilty of one offence of rape; Mohammed Shahzad, 44, guilty of six offences; Nisar Hussain, 41, guilty of three offences; and Naheem Akram, 48, guilty of seven offences.
Ongoing Search Efforts
Greater Manchester Police have urged anyone with information about Bashir’s whereabouts to contact them immediately. “We will do all we can to find Bashir and ensure justice is fully served,” DCI Laycock stated. Time was no barrier to bringing these groomers to justice, and Bashir evading the trial will not stop us ensuring he now faces the full consequences of his actions.”
Information about Bashir should be given to police online or via 101, quoting Operation Lytton. Alternatively, people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The manhunt continues as authorities work with international partners to track down the fugitive, with sources suggesting he may have fled to Pakistan where several of the convicted men have family connections.
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