In a chilling case that has horrified Bhopal, a Class 11 minor girl from a prestigious school in Shahpura was allegedly gang-raped multiple times, filmed, and blackmailed by two young men, with police probing a possible forced conversion angle. The Bhopal Police Administration has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising four members to delve deeper into the incident, examining whether the accused targeted other women or if it forms part of a larger conspiracy.
The victim, a student studying in Class 11, became acquainted with Ausaf Ali Khan through a friend. Ausaf lured her into a friendship and, under the pretext of taking her for a drive, took her to a secluded area in Khanugaon, where he raped her inside the car.
Ausaf's friend, Maaz Khan, was present during the assault and hid outside the car in the darkness to film an obscene video of the minor. Armed with the footage, the accused began blackmailing the girl, threatening to defame her by making the video public.
Exploiting the blackmail, Ausaf raped the victim multiple times in four different cars over several days. The perpetrators escalated their demands, threatening to viral the video and extorting a hefty sum of Rs 1 lakh from her. The distressed girl managed to pay them Rs 40,000, but the accused's brutality continued unabated.
When the minor blocked the accused on communication platforms, Ausaf retaliated by sending the private video to her friends. He further intensified the pressure, demanding that she convert to Islam and pray, adding a disturbing religious coercion element to the ordeal.
Unable to endure the trauma any longer, the victim confided in her family, leading to a police complaint filed on February 2 with the support of Hindu organizations. The authorities swiftly registered the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Freedom of Religion Act, and the Information Technology Act.
The formation of the SIT underscores the seriousness of the allegations, as investigators aim to uncover the full extent of the crime, including potential additional victims and any broader patterns of conspiracy in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
