What is the 1992 Ajmer sex scandal in which 6 people were sentenced to life imprisonment for raping 100 girls?

A POCSO court in Rajasthan on Tuesday sentenced six men to life imprisonment in the Ajmer sex scandal case, one of the most disturbing criminal cases of the early 1990s, which involved the sexual exploitation and blackmail of as many as 100 young schoolgirls in Ajmer.

The six accused, identified as Nafees Chishti, Naseem alias Tarzan, Salim Chishti, Iqbal Bhati, Sohail Ghani and Syed Zameer Hussain, were found guilty of the heinous crimes. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on each accused. Earlier, nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment in the same case and four were acquitted by the Supreme Court.

The Ajmer Rape Case 1992

The 1992 Ajmer rape case, known as the ‘Ajmer blackmail case’ edge,’ involved the gang rape and blackmail of several young women, with video and photographs used to silence them. The case exposed a toxic mix of political patronage, religious influence, impunity and small-town glamour.

The case was first exposed by journalist Santosh Gupta in a local newspaper, Dainik Navjyoti, in April 1992.

The accused, including influential Chishty duo Farooq and Nafis, associated with the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, and their accomplices, exploited and raped dozens of schoolgirls. A local photo lab printed and distributed nude photographs of the victims.

When the case came to light, religious tensions flared in Ajmer, leading to citywide shutdowns. Despite public outrage, the identities and whereabouts of the survivors remained unknown. Many of the victims came from modest, middle-class families of government workers, but were misleadingly labeled as “IAS-IPS investments” (daughters of IAS and IPS officers), by the media. Several families fled Ajmer in the aftermath, seeking refuge from the stigma and trauma.

Lawyers said Article 273 of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires survivors to testify in the presence of the suspect.

Police records, though incomplete, reveal the first names and outdated addresses of survivors, making it difficult to maintain contact. For more than 30 years, constant court summonses, often accompanied by police officers standing at their doors, became a painful reminder of the ordeal for the victims.

“I’m a grandma now, leave me alone. We have families. What do we tell them?” a gang rape survivor shouted in 2021 after being taken to court again.

Even the police were frustrated. In 2022, SHO Dalbeer Singh, who had been serving summonses for about a year, shared the emotional toll survivors were taking: “How many times will we take them to court? They abuse us on phone calls. Every time they see a police officer at their doorstep, they get terrified.”

He described the experience as “a hell of a task” and revealed the heartbreaking consequences of repeatedly forcing survivors to relive their trauma. One family reported that their daughter had died, possibly because of the emotional toll, and another family sent a lawyer to intimidate him. At least three victims attempted suicide after recording their statements in court.

In 2023, sacked Rajasthan Chief Minister Rajinder Gudha alleged that Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, were involved in the scandal.

The 2023 Hindi film, Ajmer92is also based on the infamous Ajmer sex scandal.