In a chilling reminder of the 1992 Ajmer sex scandal, Bhopal police have uncovered a disturbing case of organised sexual exploitation, blackmail, and religious coercion run by a group of Muslim youths targeting Hindu college girls. The accused—Farhan Khan, Sahil Khan, and Ali Khan—reportedly operated a well-coordinated racket that involved trapping young women in false relationships, recording explicit videos, and then using the footage to coerce further victims and force conversions.
The case came to light after a young woman approached the Baghsewania Police Station and filed an FIR against the trio.
As per her statement, Farhan Khan had initially introduced himself using a Hindu name to befriend her. After gaining her trust, he sexually assaulted her and secretly recorded the act. The victim stated that Farhan then used the footage to blackmail her, compelling her to introduce him to her friends, who were similarly targeted.
Following the complaint, Bhopal Police launched an extensive investigation that revealed an alarming pattern.
The accused, hiding their religious identities, would befriend Hindu students of a reputed college located on Raisen Road and gradually entrap them in abusive sexual relationships. The gang filmed these encounters and used the content to extort the victims for money and coerce them into introducing new girls to the network.
An FIR in the matter has been registered at the Bagsewaniya Police Station in Bhopal.
Speaking to the media, Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra said, “This is a highly sensitive and serious case. So far, we have identified at least four victims who were raped, blackmailed, and forced into silence. Videos recovered from the mobile phones of the arrested accused show the horrifying extent of the abuse. In some clips, the accused can be heard making objectionable and derogatory remarks about the victims’ religion.”
Two accused, Farhan Khan and Sahil Khan, have been arrested and sent to jail. The third, Ali Khan, is currently absconding. The Commissioner confirmed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising four officers has been formed to probe the case further. Preliminary findings indicate the possibility of many more victims, as more survivors are coming forward during counselling sessions.
According to police sources, the accused not only exploited the girls sexually but also pressured them to convert to Islam, sometimes under the threat of making the videos public. At least one of the girls was a minor at the time of the assault, making the case more grievous. The survivors also disclosed that the abuse often took place in the Jahangirabad and Ashoka Garden areas of Bhopal.
The police have slapped charges under multiple stringent laws, including the POCSO Act, IT Act, sections related to rape and blackmail, and the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act. Officers are also investigating whether the accused extorted money from the girls, as some victims mentioned having paid large sums under duress.
The modus operandi chillingly mirrors that of the Ajmer sex scandal, where over a hundred Hindu schoolgirls were similarly victimised by a gang of men, most notably Farooq and Nafees Chishti, who ran an extortion ring by photographing and threatening the girls.
What sets the Bhopal case apart is the use of modern digital tools—video recordings instead of photographs—to commit crimes, and the systematic targeting of Hindu girls by perpetrators allegedly motivated not just by lust but by an ideological drive to humiliate, convert, and financially exploit their victims.
As the SIT continues to interrogate the arrested men and track down absconding members, police sources believe that more victims are likely to come forward in the coming days. Officers have urged other students who may have suffered similar abuse to report to the authorities without fear.
The investigation is ongoing.
