Jaipur: A POCSO court in Ajmer sentenced six to life imprisonment on Tuesday, who have been involved in one of the most sensational sex scandals that jolted the nation. The judgement has come 32 years after the sex-racket came to light.
The Ajmer sex scandal that came to light in 1992, was a unique case of sexual blackmailing in which more than 100 young girls aged between 11 and 20, were gangraped. Most of the girls were studying in school and college at the time.
The perpetrators of the crime recorded their videos and used them to blackmail the victims into keeping silent.
They were lured into remote farmhouses or bungalows by people, who hailed from influential and financially strong families with political and social connections.
The gang members lured the girls from esteemed colleges and schools, befriended then and then raped them. The later also took their pictures in compromising positions in order to keep them silent.
The accused pressurized these girls to get their friends involved and threatened to release their nude pictures and videos if they don't. Thus, the cycle of the heinous crime of sexual exploitation and blackmailing continued over a number of years till it came to light.
The main accused, Farooq and Nafis Chisti, along with their gang, who had ties with the khadims of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, were able to trap the girls.
As the accused belonged to the minority community and communal tensions were running high with L K Advani’s Ram Rath Yatra, wrapping up just two years back, the Ajmer case would have not come to light but for a local reporter, who followed it up diligently.
POCSO court judge Ranjan Singh today sentenced Nafees Chisti, Naseem alias Tarzan, Salim Chisti, Iqbal Chisti, Sohail Gani and Syed Zameer Husaain, to life imprisonment and slapped fine of Rs 5 lakh each. All the accused were present in the court and one of them Iqbal Bhatti was brought to Ajmer from Delhi in an ambulance.
A total of 18 serial offenders were accused in the case in September 1992 and a separate trial was conducted for these six accused. One of the accused Purushottam died by suicide.
The accused had political links with the Congress Party and hailed from influential families and as such the local administration, who were aware of the scandal, were hesitant in taking any action against the politicians.
But as the news broke out, people took to the streets and protested. A three day bandh was called and amidst widespread protests and tension, the agencies were forced to investigate the case.
The first eight to go on trial were sentenced to life imprisonment but were later acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court. According to NGOs, who pursued the case they said it was difficult to nail the accused as most victims who hailed from middle class and respectable families, were afraid to speak out because of family honour and reputation.
However, the photographs and videos, which were circulated and printed in local newspapers, helped nab the accused.
A total of 30 victims were identified, out of which a dozen filed cases and 10 later backed out. Ajmer Mahila Samooh, who took up the victims’ cause, later backed out.
Even small newspapers blackmailed the victims and asked money from the families in return for not printing the pictures they possessed. Moreover, court summons and reliving the horror every time, made many of them back out. Many also moved away from the city, got married and wanted to keep away from the scandal.