JAIPUR: The case of six schoolgirls being blackmailed and sexually exploited in Bijainagar in Rajasthan's Beawar district has sparked widespread public outrage. People took to the streets, leading to a complete shutdown of businesses on Friday.
The representatives of various communities gathered in town on Thursday night, and formed a 21-member Sarva Samaj Sangharsh Samiti. The committee called for a Bijainagar bandh on Friday, resulting in all shops remaining closed since morning. Protesters assembled at the Char Batti crossing and later marched through the market, demanding strict punishment for the accused. A memorandum will be submitted to the administration, urging immediate legal action.
So far, police have arrested nine out of 13 named accused, including a minor.
On Thursday, Karim Qureshi, Aashiq Mansuri, and Chill Out Cafe operator Shravan Chaudhary were taken into custody. The remand period for five previously arrested suspects -- Rihan Mohammad, Sohail Mansuri, Lukman alias Soheb, Arman Pathan, and Sahil Qureshi -- will end on Friday, and they will be presented before the Ajmer POCSO court.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Ajmer Range) Omprakash has placed this case under the Case Officer Scheme and appointed a female police inspector to oversee the investigation.
Authorities have assured that witnesses will receive protection, and a charge sheet will be filed within seven days to ensure a swift trial.
Officials confirmed that young men of a particular community formed a gang in the name of 'love jihad' and made six schoolgirls victims of conspiracy. First, they lured them into a love affair and offered them Chinese mobile phones. Then they forced them to have physical relations and tortured them mentally by blackmailing them. They also threatened to kill their family members if they refused to participate in religious activities.
Reports also suggest that the accused pressured them to participate in forced religious activities against their will.
Based on complaints from the victims' families, police have registered cases under multiple charges, including sexual harassment, stalking, forced prostitution, spreading religious misinformation, and the POCSO Act.
The named accused include Soheb from Gulabpura, Soyal Mansuri from Bijainagar, Ayan, Arfan, Sahil, Aashiq Qureshi, Ryan, Javed, Amaan, Karim, Faizan, and 10 to 15 other individuals.
As protests continued, public demand for justice and strict punishment for the accused was growing. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation.