Ajmer 92: The gangrape and blackmail case that shook the city

 The trailer of the movie Ajmer 92 has been released.The film, which hits theatres on 21 July, stars Karan Verma and  Sumit Singh in the main role and is directed by Pushpendra Singh.But what do we know about the 1992 gangrape case behind the Bollywood film?Let’s take a closer look:What happened?According to The Print, the case was at the time called the “Ajmer blackmail kaand”.The accused were Farooq and Nafis Chishty – who belonged to an extended family with ties to the famed Ajmer Sharif Dargah – and their friends.

Both men were Youth Congress leaders and were said to have the backing of the powerful.

Their first victim was a Class 12 student who wanted to join the Congress.The men then forced the survivor to introduce them to other girls –  who they gangraped and took pictures of to assure their silence.The men gangraped dozens of young girls – photos of the whom would be printed and circulated by a photo colour lab.The story breaksThe news was broken in April 1992 by local journalist Santosh Gupta for Navajyoti News, as per Indian Express.Gupta and Navajyoti News published blurred pictures of the survivors.According to DNA, Dainik reported that there were over 250 victims in total – all between the ages of 11 and 20.Ajmer went into an uproar after details of the case—in which most accused were Muslim and many victims Hindu – emerged, as per Indian Express.The city witnessed two days of protests and the entire matter threatened to devolve into a communal issue.Trials get underwayUltimately, 18 men were charged including some from families with links to the dargah.

But, as the trials got underway, many of the witnesses turned hostile.

“The accused were in a position of influence, both socially and financially, and that made it even more difficult to persuade the girls to come forward and depose,” retired Rajasthan DGP Omendra Bhardwaj previously told Indian Express.The newspaper quoted a 2003 Supreme Court order as saying, “Unfortunately many of the victims who appeared as witnesses turned hostile and one can appreciate the reason why they did not want to depose against the appellants as that would have exposed them as well, and would have adversely affected their future life.”Gupta, speaking to The Print about Farooq and Nafis in January 2022, said, “All this clout helped them. I remember one incident where the two of them, on their jeep, went to Elite where some schoolgirls were sitting. One of them called the (restaurant) manager and asked him to distribute ice cream to everyone as it was the birthday of one of their friends. It may seem filmy, but during that time, it could leave anyone spellbound.”Court deliver verdicts, victims search for closureAs per Indian Express, eight of the accused including Farooq were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998.The Supreme Court then reduced the sentences of four other convicts to 10 years.As per The Print, Nafis remained absconding till 2003.Six of the men remain on trial. One accused, Almas Maharaj, is absconding and thought to be in the United States.A red corner notice has been issued against Maharaj, as per Indian Express.

For many of the survivors, there is still no closure.

“Why are you still calling me to court again and again? It has been 30 years,” a survivor angrily asked the judge, lawyers, and the accused in December 2021, as per The Print. “I am now a grandmother, leave me alone.”“We have families. What do we tell them?” she asked.Even some of the police involved in the case seem at their end.“How many times will we drag them to court? On phone calls, they abuse us. Every time they see a policeman at their doors, they get terrified,” Dalbeer Singh, the station house office (SHO) of Dargah Police Station, told The Print.‘Focusing on strengthening women empowerment’Verma, the star of the film, in a statement said, “Undertaking the lead role in Ajmer 92 proved to be highly demanding, given its profound and meaningful subject matter. The process of depicting the journalist in the movie was a transformative experience, paving the way for new challenges and horizons for me.”Pushpendra Singh, director of the film, added, “For me, it was an emotional and impactful subject. Given the delicate nature of this sensitive subject, it was crucial to handle it with utmost care. We have strived to authentically portray the agony endured by the characters and made every effort to send a hard-hitting message to society.”“Ajmer 92′ is a story that depicts the ordeal of families affected by atrocities on young girls, and the shame that the girl and the family have to endure. We are focusing on strengthening the movement of women empowerment and fighting for justice through our film,” Producer Umesh Narwadeshwar Tiwari said.The movie is a Reliance Entertainment presentation, a U&K Films Entertainment, Sumit Motion Pictures and Little Crew Pictures production.It is produced by Umesh Narwadeshwar Tiwari.Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes FirstpostWith inputs from agencies