Source: TW
Ajmer Files is in-depth description of one of the most vicious crime happened in India during 1990-1992 at Ajmer. When a gang of dargah khadim kin raped and filmed more than 300 girls. This thread series is most authentic and descriptive narration of that incident available of internet. Based on real incidents.
Expose
Dirty Pics- 22nd April 1992 Ajmer
It was usual morning of Ajmer but on that day something happened for which Ajmer was not ready. There was a story in newspaper Dainik Navjyoti about a sex scandal that was going on in Ajmer. 1992 was the era when there was no mobile, no internet, no news channels, very few landline telephone. There were only two major newspaper in Rajasthan- Rajasthan Patrika and Dainik Navjyoti. The story was about a sex scandal that had been going in Ajmer from long time. Lot of Ajmer girls were being sexually exploited by group of people. That story was talk of town for few days but people didn’t take it more seriously and after few days matter was forgotten.
This story could not pick up because there was no Police complaint, no girl came in forward.
- “People are in deep sleep, these small noise wont wake up them, we have to drop the bomb now” Journalist of DN, Santosh Kumar said to editor DB Choudhary.
- “Do you know what you are saying, it will create havoc”
- “We don’t have any options, Girls are being exploited, Everyone knows, Police knows, Govt knows, Politician knows, If we don’t publish then it will keep going and don’t know how many more girls will be raped”.
- “Ok, go ahead, drop the bomb”
When Editor of Navjyoti, Deenbandhu Choudhary said this to Santosh Kumar he himself was not aware that what strom it would bring in Ajmer.
The day was 15th May 1992 - 24 days after that story. A day that changed Ajmer for forever. It was a summer morning and as usual people checked their newspaper and what they saw there brought storm in city. The newspaper was full of dirty pictures of local girls in compromising position. This time Santosh Kumar decided to publish those photos, those photos were being circulated in Ajmer in closed circles but no one dared to publish them. Navjyoti published those photos for 2 days continuously (15th and 16th May 1992) These photos created storm in Ajmer. Santosh Kumar’s idea this time went successful.
What was in those photos ? Hindu girls being sexually exploited by local Muslim boys. Soon there was Ajmer bandh for 3 days. People were protesting on streets. The chair of CM Bhairo Singh Shekhawat was shaking. Santosh Kumar had opened the cane of worms, Now all local tabloids were publishing more pictures. Every day new pictures of new girls were coming. The scandal was way bigger than imagined. How did all this start ? And How many girls were raped ? Everybody wanted to know.
The story that was exposed in May 1992, started in 1990. Nafeesh and Farooq Chisti belongs to famous chisti family of Ajmer who is caretaker of Ajmer Dargah. Their sister used to study in Sofia school of Ajmer and they used to go there to pick her.
End of episode 1
The initial trapped
The story starts from 1990. This is the story of 2 Youths of Ajmer- Nafeesh Chisthi and Farooq Chisthi and their gang and hundreds of anonymous girls who became part of this dirty story. Nafees were kin of the most powerful chisthi family of Ajmer who is care taker of Ajmer dargah. They already have money and got power also in 1990. Farooq Chishtee was made president of the Ajmer Youth Congress. Nafis Chishtee was the vice-president of Ajmer Congress and Anwar Chishtee was made the joint secretary of Ajmer Congress. That time there was BJP govt in power and Congress was main opposition. Money with Power drove them to commit such crime that never happened in India.
Ajmer was always ahead of time to other cities in modernity - and reason was the prestigious colleges like Mayo, Sophia, Savitri college. Mayo college was for elite class of India while upper class girls used to study at Sophia Girls school and college. Farooq’s sister was also in Sophia school and to take her the entire gang used to go that school and through her they started to talk with girls. All were good looking, smart and rich and used to give expensive gifts to girls and by this girls easily fell for them. They had car that time a farm house at foy sagar road. One day Farooq brought his GF at his farmhouse and his friend took their intimate photos. From there the story of rape and blackmail started. There were 8-10 boys in the gang : Farooq, Nafees, Anwar, Puttan, Salim, Ishrat, Shamshusdin, Suhail etc. All were able to make girlfriends from Sophia by giving expensive gifts. They took intimate photos of their GFs and started to rape them and farm house at Hatundi became their aDDa of dirty activities.
Any girl who wanted to go outside from relationship they used to blackmail them by pics. Due to fear no girl could report to Police and parents. Rashmi who was GF of Farooq asked him crying to give her negatives of her photo then Farooq put a condition that if she brings her friend Shalu to him he would give her pictures and stop blackmailing. Rashmi introduced Shalu to Farooq and he did same with Shalu also. Brought her on farm house, raped her, took her photos and then aske her to bring her friend. Same thing entire gang started to do with their GFs - and 10 to 20, 20 to 40, 40 to 80 no one know they raped how many girls.
Tomorrow in episode 3 Story of Sunita (Changed name) who wanted to join NSUI and how Farooq and Nafees trapped her and exploited her. Sunita was the one who gave testimony is court and told her entire story. End of Episode 2
Sunita
Nafees pushed Sunita inside the room and closed the door. He asked her to take off her clothes otherwise she would be killed. He felled her on bed and attempted to tear off her clothes. Those who haven’t read episode 1 and 2 can read here raped how many girls, actual number no one knows because many girls never came for complaint and FIR but the way photos and videos were circulating. People believe that there were lot of girls and they were in hundreds. The story of Sunita (changed name) is very important because Sunita was the girl who filed FIR and told her story in court. So this story is completely authentic.
Sunita was studying in the 12th Class in 1990 in Savitri School at Ajmer. She had ambition to join politics. She met to her friend Deepak Choudhary and told him about it, Deepak assured her that he would help her to join politics. One day when she along with her younger sister and Deepak and another friend Rajesh was proceeding towards the bus stand from her house, a white Maruti car came from the opposite direction which had 2 or 3 occupants who seemed to know Deepak Chaudhary. They stopped car and offered lift to Deepak who accepted the offer. All of them sat in the car. Two persons in car were Nafees and Farooq Chisthi. She was introduced to those two persons by Deepak.
Nafees offered her an assignment in the Congress Party so that she could begin her political career. Few days later one Anwar Chisti came in a car and introduced himself as a friend of Nafees. He gave her some forms to be filled up which were required by the Congress Party and also requested her to give her passport size photograph. She later gave her photograph to Nafees directly. One day when she was going to school Nafees told her that he would drop her at the school and since she was getting late she accepted the offer. Farooq was also in the car. Instead of dropping her at the school they took her to the farm house where Anwar and Ishrat were also present. She went with Nafees to another room to discuss about her joining the Congress Party while Farooq and Anwar waited outside.
Nafees hugged and kissed her despite her opposition to which she protested and came out of the room. Some moments later Nafees also came out of the room. Thereafter when she went inside the room to bring her dupatta Nafees pushed her inside the room and closed the door. He asked her to take off her clothes otherwise she would be killed. He felled her on bed and attempted to tear off her clothes. She kept crying but he didnt stop. Thereafter he raped her. And after that when she was wearing cloths, he told her that she would not talk about it to anyone.
She was thereafter taken in the car and dropped at her house. Seven days later she again met Nafees near the Collectorate and he had warned her that if she mentioned about the earlier incident to anyone anything could happen. One day she was going with her friend Madhuri (Changed name). Nafees and Farooq saw Madhuri.
What happened with Madhuri Tomorrow in Episode 4. End of episode 3.
Madhuri
Warning : This episode is very disturbing and weak hearted person should not read it.
Madhuri (Madhu) who was also studying in the Savitri School. One day when Sunita and Madhu were going Nafees and Farooq met them on the way. They enquired about Madhu and Sunita introduced Madhu to them. Some days later Madhu came to her house and started weeping. What happened with her ?
Sunita had introduced her to Nafees, Anwar, Salim, Farukh and Ishrat. While introducing them she had praised them and said that they were like her five brothers. Sunita told her that they were sons of her father’s friend. On 15th January, 1991, Sunita told Madhu that there is a function at Hatundi farm house and she came with Anwar and Ishrat to pick her. In farm house entire gang was there where Ishrat became friendly with her. Madhu realized that these guys are not good. Nothing happened at that day.
2-4 days later Sunita again requested her to go with her and then she again went to that place. Ishrat took her for a stroll. After that they came to room where others were sitting but they found no one there. Thereafter Ishrat forcibly removed her clothes and she started crying. She was forcibly thrown on the bed in that room and was raped by Ishrat who warned her not to talk to anyone about the incident as that would only result in her loss of reputation. Out of fear she did not narrate the incident to anyone. They all returned in the same vehicle.
Despite Ishrat’s threats she did not agree to accompany him thereafter. He started roaming near her house and threatened that he will disclose everything to others. Under the circumstances she was compelled to go with him. He took her to the bungalow of Farooq at Fie Sagar Road. Nafees was also present there. She was raped by Nafees there and he threatened her that her sister will also be kidnapped and they would do the same thing to her. Out of fear she had to go with them. Later she was also raped by Farooq and one Babli who had come from America. Nafees told her that Babli was his boss and she should please him. She was compelled to do whatever they told her to do. Sometimes She was raped by 2-3 persons same day. Once she was also raped by one Zameer. She had became their sex slave.
One day Sohail and Puttan met her in market and told her that Ishrat had called her. She was compelled to go with them who took her to the ruins near Dargah. Where Puttan and Sohail raped her. Puttan also photographed her while she was being raped by Sohail.
In these circumstances Madhu told one Rajendra Singh Rajawat a police constable who introduced them to one Shri Soni working in the Special Branch of the Police. They had promised that they will carry the matter to the higher level and deal with the situation. They disclosed everything to Shri Soni. But thereafter large number of phone calls were made by different persons including ladies who were unknown to her. They used to question as to why she had reported the matter to the police.
One day Rajendra Singh asked them to accompany him to recover the photos and therefore she along with Madhu went to Dargah area. While Rajendra was at some distance from them one person came and told Madhu that the game which they were playing was a game they had played long back. Later Sunita and Madhu knew that Monika, Nirmala, Archana and Poonam who studied with her in the same school, though in junior classes had also become victim of them.
After her college examination she went away from Ajmer to Jaipur in August 1991 and her connection with accused ended there. This is not the individual story of Madhu. These things happened with all those innocent girls who became victims of them.
Tomorrow in Episode 5 - How politicians, White collar people involved in it. How this scandal became the worst scandal of world history. End of episode 4
Expansion to A club
More talkative girl were easy target. Modus operandi was simple - lure girls by costly gift, bring them to farm house, rape them, take photos, blackmail them and ask them to bring their friend. Previous episode this kept going from 1990 to 1991, till then they have raped 100s of girls and took their photos and videos.
In that era there were no digital cameras. There used to be role cameras. You had to insert a roll into camera that used to contain 36 negatives and after clicking pics, you had to give that roll to photo studio to develop photographs from that camera. They used to develop photos from a photo studio. Bharosha Color Lab. Through that lab photos started to circulate in city. Slowly slowly news started to spread outside. All were associated with Congress party so they had contact with big leaders. It was happening at such big level and so many girls have been raped that you cant hide.
Matter reached to big influential people and in place of saving those girls they also started to exploit them. White collar people that includes politicians, doctors, police, businessman started to knew about it and demanded their share to keep their mouth shut. So gang now started to supply those girls to prestigious people. everyone who got to know about this started to exploit girls. Whether some prestigious person or driver of them or worker of photo lab - Some demanded money, some sex. All those girls were trapped badly.
Ajmer has a famous club named A club (name changed). Now center of crime had been shifted from farm house to A club. Most of the members of that club were prestigious people. Every night car used to go to pick girls from their home to A club. And there people used to exploit them. This kept going from 1991 to mid 92. One day shattered from continuous torture one girl committed suicide. After some time one more girl and then one by one 6 girls of Sophia and other institutes commuted suicide, their bodies were found hanging.
Now it was talk of the town why girls are committing suicide. The matter was exposed in May 1992 - but 1 year before everyone knew what was going on. All politicians, Police, Journalist. When matter was exposed then Police said that they didnt take any action because it might cause Hindu Muslim riots. Its also said that those girls were used to sent to Jaipur and Delhi also.
How this case was exposed and what happened after that tomorrow in episode 6. End of episode 5.
Immolation
With tears in her eyes she went to him and asked “You have raped me many times, I did whatever you said. Now please give me back my photographs.” But despite of her merciful request, he didn’t give her photographs. She kept crying. It was the main Vaishali nagar road of Ajmer at the time of early morning of 1992. A girl came on two wheeler and on road she poured petrol on herself and burnt herself alive. Shocked people tried to save her but could not save. She died. Many people from Ajmer till then had known what is going on.
On 22nd April 1992, a local new paper of Ajmer Dainik Navjyoti decided to break this story because it was the only way by which this exploitation can be stopped. Navjyoti published it on 22nd April and then on 15th May with pictures. You can read whole incident this in episode 1 the exposure. Huge protest started in Ajmer but public authorities were still not convinced of the need to take action.
In a press conference the Home Minister of Rajasthan made a shocking revelation to the newspaper that he had seen 75-100 similar nude photographs one and a half months ago. DIG of Ajmer range, who was also present at the same conference, shamefully said that Police had arrested four of the involved men under ‘disruption of peace’ in April but had to release them on bail after two days. The police tried to explain the situation by lamenting the limitations of police power. They said police can only act after a complaint or an F.I.R, not on the basis of press reports. So no person was arrested. Lot of people were also found saying that they knew it from long time but did not act due to fear of communal riots in Ajmer.
On 16th May Navjyoti exposed the case but no girl came for FIR because all girls for educated, rich or middle-class families. But after some time few of the girls came and FIR was filed against 8 people and after further investigation from them, 10 more names were added.
People of Ajmer took to the streets. There were bandhs and demonstrations by various organizations. There was Ajmer bandh for 3 days. Allegedly to prevent a communal riot breaking out city, Authorities invoked the National Security Act (NSA) to arrested eight accused. It was the first time in the history of Rajasthan when NSA was used for a sex crime. Lot of accused fled from Ajmer, some went abroad. Police issued red corner notice and started to hunt them. But game of expose did not stop here. The real expose started after this.
What happened after this big expose ? How many accused arrested and what happened with them ? Who was Madan Singh and what happened with him ? Tomorrow in episode 7. End of Episode 6.
Madan Singh
On 16th May 1992 Navjyoti exposed the case but no girl came for FIR because all girls were from educated, rich or middleclass families. But after some few of the girls came and FIR was filed against 8 people and after further investigation from them, 10 more names were added in FIR. You can read previous episodes (shown earlier).
These pictures were in hand of lot of journalist - but before Navjyoti expose no one published them but after Navjyoti everyone started to publish those pictures. May to Sep was the most awful time in Ajmer. Till now no body knows how many girls were raped. Today people say around 200 but that time we used to here that number was around 500 to 700. Most of the girls never came in front. That was the time when everyone used to see every girl of Sophia college with doubts. People used to enquiry at newspaper office - humari ladki ki bhi photo hai kya?
There was a local journalist Madan Singh who used to publish a tabloid “Lehro ki barkha”. He had access of lot of photos and videos. Lot of people say he was also involved in blackmailing case. He started to publish daily pictures of Ajmer girls in his tabloid. He created havoc in Ajmer city. His circulation went sky rocket. One girl Pushpa (Victim of blue film case) filed an FIR against him that he asked Rs 20000 from her for not publishing her pics. The business of blackmailing was going on at large level.
But till now no one could find, apart from those 18 khadim members who were those top class influential people who used to call to girls in prestigious A club (changed name) and used to rape them. One day Madan Singh was sitting with some influential people and he had some argument. And on next day he published the name of 4-5 top influential people of Ajmer who was involved in Ajmer case one of them was a Congress MLA. It created sensation in Ajmer because roots of case were going very deep now.
Attempts on his life had begun on the night of September 4, 1992. Two persons in a Maruti van stopped his car and fired at him. One bullet got lodged in his right hip. Madan jumped into a nearby drain and the attackers run away. Later in hospital, Madan Singh named Congress MLA and 4 more influential person to Police but Police ignored his statement and didn’t arrest anyone and then on 12th Sep 1992 something happened that never happened before in Rajasthan. On September 12, five persons armed with a shotgun and two pistols entered his hospital room and shot at him. Before dying two days later, Madan named those people but again Police did not arrest MLA and those people. Madan Signh Died. Govt gave Rs 50000 compensation to his family.
1992 was the time when for a long period no barat procession came in Ajmer for marriage. People were avoiding Ajmer girls for marry. Their pictures and blue films were circulating everywhere. One day, on the order of CM, Police raided on all video parlors of Ajmer. Collected all copies of photos, video cassates and burn them. After that nobody talked about those pictures and cassatas, but in privately people say that a lot of people still have those pictures and cassatas. Initially 29 girls came for statement but later lot of backed off.
I still remember those days of 90s when video parlor used to give video cassettes on rent on these rates. Bollywood film Rs 10 for 12 hours New Bollywood film - Rs 15 for 12 hours Blue Film - Rs 20 for 12 hours, Ajmer Film - Rs 500 for 1 hour.
1990 - 1998 there was BJP govt in Rajasthan. They can take credit that they arrested Chisti brothers and sent them to Jail but they should also answer why no influential person was never arrested. Why when they were aware 1 year before this case is going on they did not try to stop? When Madan Singh openly said name of Influential people including Congress MLA before dying why govt did not act against them. His murderer never arrested.
Who was those influential people? you can read here- “Murder of Ajmer daily editor exposes sordid sex scandal involving criminals, politicians” on IndiaToday.
Tomorrow in Episode 8 I will tell who have been arrested and how they arrested, what punishment they got and how this case concluded. Episode 8 will be most shocking episode of this series. End of Episode 7 17/17
Trial
First they tried to impress girls that they were decent and affluent people and that is why on some occasions, apart from taking a meal together, nothing more happened. This was a clever design to earn their confidence and friendship. But after a certain stage they forcibly raped those girls and continued their sexual exploitation under threats and black mailing tactics. This was said by Public Prosecutor in Supreme court while talking on this case. This design is still not going on ?
On 16th May 1992, after the expose of local newspaper Dainik Navjyoti this crime came in Public. Initially Police tried to save culprits but on public pressure Police filed the FIR on 30th May. On the basis of photographs police identified 30 girls On the basis of discussion with those girls, initially Police filed FIR against 8 persons and then 10 more added and total 18 persons were considered accused. Few of them were: Farooq Chisti, Salim, Mojiulla, Ishart Ali, Anwar, Shamsudin (Maradona), Nafees, Suhail, Purshottam, Mahesh Ludhani (Owner of Photo color lab), Harish tulani.
And now here started the game of pressurizing girls. Since most of the girls were from upper class, middle class so they didn’t want to come in court but after the consultation from few NGOs, 12 were ready. All accused fled from Ajmer. Police nabbed 15 of them from various locations and trial started in Ajmer district court. It’s said that there were many influential people also involved including politicians, bureaucrats, journalist, police but surprisingly there name did not come out till now, and the major reason was that out of 500 girls who were raped only 12 came for statement and out of those 12 also 10 became hostile. So at the end there were only 2 girls who gave statement in the court. I shared story of these 2 girls Sunita and Madhu.
In previous episodes of this series. Lot of reader asked me why govt dont open this case now and answer is - nothing will happen now because no one will come for statement now. All those girls are now in late 40s, 50s and living family life so nothing can happen now. Most of the accused who were arrested got bail in few months. One of the accused Purushottam died mysteriously in 1994. 1992 to 1998 was the time when there used to be news of this case regularly in news paper. As far as I remember, out of those 18, Police filed charge sheet against only 11 accused. Few of them fled and against few Police could not find evidence. Out of them Naseem absconded after he was released on bail and therefore could not be tried along with the remaining accused. First judgement of this came on May 18, 1998 - Exactly 6 years of the day this case was exposed.
On the basis of statement of those 2 girls, Sessions Judge of Ajmer found all the accused guilty of the offence under Section 120-B IPC and Section 376/120-B and sentenced them to imprisonment for life and a fine of Rs.1,000/. All of them challenged this judgement to Rajasthan high court.
In 2001, High court acquitted Parvez Ansari, Mahesh Ludhani, Kailash Soni and Harish Tolani of all the charges levelled against them. Also reduced the sentence of 4 out of 8 accused from life imprisonment to 10 years. HC kept life imprisonment only for 4 accused Puttan, Ishrat, Anwar and Shamshuddin (Meradona).
At that time one more incident happened. The main accused and mastermind Farooq Chisti lost his mental balance and trial against him was put on hold. All 4 accused of life imprisonment challenged HC order into Supreme Court.
Judgement of SC came into 2003. What was judgement of SC ? What happened with Farooq? What happened with those (Salim, Suhail, Anwar) who fled and could never got nabbed ? What is the current situation of the case ? What all those accused are doing today ? Will tell in Episode 9 of the series that will be the last episode of this mega series. End of episode 16.
Conclusion
What can be punishment for those -who raped more than 300 minor girls, supplied them, used them as sex slave, forced 6 girls to commit suicide, Gave an unforgettable scare to a whole city and generation? Previous episodes court gave life imprisonment to 8 accused, acquitted rest in 1998 High court reduced sentence of 4 out of 8 from life imprisonment to 10 years in 2001 State govt and guilty both challenged into Supreme Court.
In 2003 Supreme court reduced the sentence of remaining 4 accused who got life imprisonment to 10 years and kept 10 years to rest 4. So the final judgement was 10 years imprisonment to 8 accused and rest of them were acquitted. Punishment to rape more than 200 girls and causing 6 girl suicide is only 10 years because out of those 200 girls only 2 girl came to court and rest no one came to court. 100s of photographs, video caseates were there in market to prove their crime but since no girl came so they got benefit of it. When they committed this crime they were in their 20s so in 10 years they finished their imprisonment and came out from Jail in their 30s and all are legally free today. They all belong to super rich family so all today living luxurious life.
- Farooq Chisti who was mastermind and lost mental balance in 2001 was convicted in 2007 and court gave punishment of 10 years but also said that he already have spent long time in Jail so he was acquitted immediately legally.
- One absconding Salim was caught in 2012.
- One absconding Suhail was caught in 2018 and his trial is still going on.
- One guy is still absconding and people say he is in USA.
So today as on only Suhail is in Jail rest all are free. Those who completed their 10 year term are still living luxurious life in Ajmer. All of the girl who were raped in at their late 40s and 50s and have become now dadi nani. Few of them left Ajmer and few still living there.
The guy who used to develop photos still living lavishly at Ajmer.
Journalist Deenbandhu Choudhary and Santosh Gupta still lives in Ajmer.
Now lets come to the only 2 persons of this case who got real punishment and those 2 person are those 2 girls who came in court and did not turn hostile. All got free in 10 years but these two girls are still suffering from last 30 years. Whenever someone new is caught Police reach their home with summon. Recently one girl almost lost her balance in court. I wish some girl had shown courage and would have talked to her parents about it. When sexually exploited, most of the girls decide to stay quite just to avoid police and court and its only encourages criminals. What should we do to stop it ? Ajmer Files thread series ends here.
Last year when there was lockdown in Jodhpur in April May a lady met a guy on Facebook. I don’t remember his name might be Siraj or Wasim. Both became friends and as lockdown lifted both met and now since its 2022 so Siraj did not need to rape her. They had consensual sex. Siraj took their intimate photos. After some time Siraj started to blackmail and demanded her to bring her friend in exchange of photos. She went immediately to Police and Siraj was arrested and She stopped season 2 of Ajmer Files from happening.