‘Ajmer 92’ : A Movie on the Horrors of Ajmer’s Scandal from 1992

Recently, Taran Adarsh announced the release of his movie ‘Ajmer 92’ on Twitter. The film will release on the 14th of July 2023 in India. This hard-hitting movie will refocus the attention of Indians on the sex and blackmail scandal of Ajmer from 1992. Currently, there are many Islamist groups that are calling for a ban on the film. They request the bans under the excuse that the film will create a rift in the society.

The movie should refresh the short term memories of Hindus on the capability of radical Islamists after they achieve power and political backing. The movie is being questioned by various groups due to its presumed harmful societal effects; however, the movie-makers state that the film is based on proven and legal facts. The question then arises that will the movie increase ‘jagrukta’ in Sleeping Sanatanis. Furthermore, the question arises that does awareness in Sanatanis threaten a certain peace-loving group which has led to calls of bans on the movie by ‘sickularists’.

The Sex and Blackmail Scandal of Ajmer in 1992

The movie ‘Ajmer 92’ revolves around nude photographs, blackmail, and non-consensual sex of underage women by a gang of Muslim men in Ajmer. The scandal was first reported by a local paper ‘Dainik Navjyoti’. Soon thereafter the reporter lodged FIRs against the accused in the article, and submitted relevant evidence in the form of pictures with the police.

Farooq Chishti, the main accused in this case, was the President of the Ajmer Youth Congress. The Vice-President of Ajmer Indian National Congress, Nafis Chishti, and the Joint Secretary of Ajmer Indian National Congress, Anwar Chishti, were also named as the primary accused along with Farooq Chishti. These three soulless abusers had formed a gang of abusers that targeted women. They were associated with the Khadims, the Ajmer Dargah caretakers. They had sufficient power and political links to continue their grim deeds without any cognizance of consequences.

‘Ajmer 92’ should disclose the dirty underbelly of Rajasthan politics, that reared its ugly face to save this gang of Muslim boys despite their horrific deeds. To understand the need to make movies on this cringe-worthy subject, a detailed look into the scandal is required.

The Horrors of Ajmer’s Scandal of 1992 in a Snapshot

The Scandal

1. Farooq Chishti misled a minor female student of Sophia Senior Secondary School. Later he raped her, took nude photographs of the girl, and blackmailed her to introduce other girls to him. Thereafter, he did the same dreadful thing to those girls she introduced to him. He built an entire network of blackmail victims who had no choice but to submit to his abuse.
2. Chishti and his gang raped and blackmailed the numerous girls for many years. They lured the victims to a remote farmhouse or bungalow, where the victims were sexually assaulted by one or several of the gang’s members. However, due to fear of public scrutiny no victim ever came forward.

The Case Till Date

1. The scandal saw light only after a local newspaper relayed the horrible truth in print media. The news reporter claimed that the authorities were aware of this horrific situation prior to the article. The politically connected Chishti and his gang had put undue pressure on the local authorities and the victims from making a case against them.
2. The perpetrators took nude or revealing photos of their victims. They used these pictures to further exploit and blackmail these girls into silence. The police identified 30 victims of this dreadful sex scandal from these pictures. Later the police discovered that 6 victims had chosen to end their life. Of the initial 12 victims that came forward, only 2 fought the case. Moreover, only 1 of which remains alive to continue this delayed fight for justice.
3. A total of 18 accused were brought to trial in September 1992 on charges of abduction. Only 10 of the 18 were sentenced to life imprisonment. The Rajasthan High Court in 2014 acquitted 4 from those 10 convicts. Farooq Chishti was convicted of his crimes in 2007, but the Rajasthan High Court released him on time served in 2013.
4. The NGOs that were trying to help the girls and their families to come forward beat a hasty retreat upon receipt of death threats. The victims turned hostile due to fear of social stigma, the influence of Khadims of Ajmer Sharif Dargah, and the powerful political backers of the heinous gang.
5. Recently, the sole surviving victim was asked to relive her horror in court in 2021. The press, media, and courts continue to harass the victim; while the abusers are free to live their lives under the protection of the Ajmer Dargah Committee. His and his family’s clout continues to expand in Ajmer despite the case.

Expectations from the Movie

The Indian public prefers the ostrich syndrome over awareness. The Indian audience does not respond well to uncomfortable subjects; like sexual abuse, rape, sexual blackmail, etc. However, Indian women expect ‘Ajmer 92’ to sound the conch of consciousness in the hearts of secular Indians. The Indian community must wake up to the fact that Islam is a religion that objectifies women. Its zealot followers treat women like a commodity. They use and slaughter women without a thought to consequences.

Most Indian viewers would cringe at going to watch a movie on such a delicate subject. The stark reality of the victims is as difficult to face as the continued political clout of the abusers. The continued protection granted to the abusers of minor girls, the lack of timely justice, the process of repeated appeals in the face of evidence makes it difficult for women to step forward in such cases. May this movie make the government take strict steps to empower women by providing quick and fair justice in cases of proven sexual assault or abuse.