In a landmark ruling, a Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Court in Jaipur has handed down life sentences to six men involved in the infamous 1992 Ajmer sex scandal. This case, which shocked the nation over three decades ago, involved the systematic exploitation and blackmail of more than 100 schoolgirls, aged between 11 and 20 years, through nude photographs.
The court, presided over by a single-judge bench of Justice Ranjan Singh, also imposed fines of ₹5 lakh on each of the convicted individuals. The men, who hailed from influential families with ties to the Khadims of Ajmer’s revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti’s dargah and political circles, had used their status to lure, photograph, and later assault the young girls at a secluded farmhouse.
The scandal, first uncovered by a local newspaper in 1992, sent shockwaves across the country, revealing the depth of the perpetrators’ depravity and the vulnerability of the victims. Out of the 18 men originally implicated, nine were previously sentenced, with others facing various fates, including suicide, further criminal charges, and fugitive status.
This recent conviction marks the conclusion of a prolonged legal battle, bringing a sense of justice to the survivors and their families, albeit delayed. The Ajmer scandal remains a grim reminder of the abuse of power and the long road to justice.
