1992 Ajmer Rape case: What happened in Ajmer during 1990-92 when over 100 school, college girls were gangraped for months

A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court sentenced six individuals to life imprisonment for their involvement in the infamous Ajmer sex scandal from the early 1990s. The Ajmer sex scandal, also known as the ‘Ajmer 92‘ case, was widely reported by the Hindi newspaper ‘Dainik Navjyoti’. The scandal involved a series of blackmail and rapes that took place in Ajmer in 1992. Members of the influential Khadim family, including Farooq and Nafis Chishti, led a group of young men who were accused of these heinous acts. They used a farmhouse to gang-rape and blackmail young women, who were later photographed in compromising positions to intimidate them into silence.

What happened in Ajmer during 1990-92?

According to reports, local authorities were aware of these criminal activities for up to a year before any legal action was taken. Farooq Chishti, one of the main perpetrators, was found to have befriended a young girl from Sophia Senior Secondary School in Ajmer, taking obscene photos of her and using them to coerce her into introducing him to other girls. ‘Dainik Navjyoti’ reported that over 250 victims, aged between 11 and 20, were affected.

The scandal came to light when the obscene photos were leaked, prompting the police to take action. In September 1992, 18 individuals were charged, with the first eight sentenced to life imprisonment. However, four of these were later acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in 2001. In 2007, a fast-track court convicted Farooq Chishti, but he was released on time served by the High Court in 2013.

A movie related to case was also released last year. Ajmer 92, directed by Pushpendra Singh, depicted the horrifying gangrape case from Ajmer in 1992 involving powerful men who blackmailed and exploited young girls in Rajasthan.

Ajmer 92 is based on true events brought to light by a report in the Hindi newspaper Dainik Navjyoti. In 1992, a scandal involving blackmail and gangrape was discovered, led by Farooq and Nafis Chishti from the influential Khadim family, who managed the Ajmer Dargah.