One More Held In Rape, Blackmailing Case; Prime Accused On Police Remand

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police have arrested one more accused involved in rape and blackmailing case which surfaced on Thursday. Till now police have arrested three accused involved in the case, police officials said.

Prime accused Farhan Khan aka Faraz was produced before the court and has been taken on a three-day remand by Bag Sewania police on Friday. Questioning Farhan may provide more details in the case along with number of girls he targeted till now.

Those arrested till now have been identified as Farhan aka Faraz and Saad. On Saturday police arrested another accused identified as Abrar aka Ali Khan who was named along with other accused in the FIR lodged at Ashoka Garden police station.

A senior police official said that the number of accused in the case has now increased to seven. Moreover, the number of victims in four cases may also increase as it has come to the fore that many more girls were targeted by the prime accused and his aides during the last few years, the official added.

Police investigations till now have revealed that a group of youths which included former students of a private college trapped girl students and raped them. They made obscene videos of them and forced them to introduce other girls who were also raped and blackmailed. The racket surfaced after one of the girls approached Bag Sewania police and lodged an FIR against prime accused Farhan Khan aka Faraz. Police Commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra said one more accused in the case has been arrested on Friday. The number of accused in the case may increase following further investigations, he added.

Prime accused persuing MBA

Aishbag resident Farhan Khan’s (24) father is a private car driver. Farhan is presently pursuing MBA from a college and deals in used cars and bikes. Case against him has been registered at Jehangirabad and Bag Sewania police stations. Farhan has been booked under POCSO and Freedom of Religion Acts as the rape victim was a minor at the time she was raped and blackmailed. Police officials said that Farhan pressured the victim for religious conversion. Police sources said in a video that Farhan is seen hitting the victim and making religious comments. Further investigations reveal that Farhan targeted and sexually exploited at least six girls.

Many victims sexually exploited by multiple youths

Investigations indicate that many of the victims who were trapped by the group were sexually exploited by multiple youths after being blackmailed through their obscene videos. While police should have registered a single FIR in all cases with sections of gang rape, all cases were transferred to different police stations for investigation.