The Ajmer gang rape case of 1992 has been referred to as an “open wound” that has yet to heal. The case involved the rape and blackmail of hundreds of young women by the infamous Chishty duo, Farooq Chishty and Nafees Chishty, and their gang. The accused belonged to the extended family associated with the Ajmer Sharif Dargah and had used their religious reach and small-town glamour to commit the crime with impunity. The case may never have gone to court if it weren’t for an intrepid city crime reporter who exposed the crime.
Now, an upcoming movie titled “The Ajmer Diary” is shedding light on the true events of the Ajmer rape case. Directed and Written by Neeraj Singh and Shraddha Srivastava, the movie depicts the horrific rape of 250 Hindu girls between the ages of 11-20 by the Khadims of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and the Chishty duo. The movie’s teaser has been recently released by Waft Studios, and it promises to be a harrowing yet necessary watch.
Ajmer Sexual Exploitation: A Timeline of Events
It all started on 15th May 1992, when the daily newspaper Dainik Navjyoti published a shocking story with blurred pictures of four survivors. The Ajmer Sexual Exploitation Case had been exposed, and the nation was in shock.
What followed was a long and winding legal battle that spanned over three decades. Here’s a timeline of the key events in this case:
- 30th May 1992- An FIR was lodged at Ganj Thana, but Nafees and Farooq were not named.
- 3rd September 1992- The first chargesheet was filed.
- 28th September 1992- Trial began in the district session court. One of the accused, Purshottam, committed suicide in 1994.
- 18th May 1998- Ajmer sessions court sentences eighth of the accused to life in prison: Moijullah aka Puttan, Parvez Ansari, Israt Ali, Mahesh Ludhani, Kailash Soni, Sayed Anwar Chishty, Harish Tolani, and Shamsuddin aka Maradona.
- 20th July 2001- Rajasthan High Court acquits Parvez Ansari, Kailash Soni, Mahesh Lodhani, and Harish Tolani.
- April 2003- Nafees Chishty, who had been underground for years, was arrested in Delhi.
- 19th December 2003- The Supreme Court decides that the 1998 life sentence was “too harsh” and reduced the sentence of the four accused Israt, Puttan, Maradona, and Anwar to 10 years.
- In 2005 Iqbal Bhatt was arrested.
- February 2007- A fast-track court in Ajmer sentenced Farooq Chishty to life in prison.
- September 2013- The Rajasthan High Court reduced Farooq Chishty’s sentence from life imprisonment to ‘the period already undergone by him’ and allowed his release.
- 2018- Suhail Ghani, one of the main accused who had been absconding for 26 years, surrendered.
- Present- The trials of Nafees Chishty, Saleem Chishty, Suhail Ghani, Sayed Jamir Hussain, and Naseem aka Tarzan are underway in the POCSO court. All are out on bail. Another accused, Almas Maharaj, is absconding and is believed to be living in the US.
The Ajmer Sexual Exploitation has been a long and painful legal battle for the survivors and their families. Although some of the accused have been convicted, others have been acquitted or have had their sentences reduced. The legal battle is far from over, and the survivors and their families continue to seek justice. And this movie, “The Ajmer Diary” serves as a reminder of the importance of holding those in power accountable for their actions and seeking justice for survivors of sexual assault.
THE AJMER DIARY – Ajmer Sexual Exploitation – A Timeline of Events