Farooq Chishti is a former Indian youth politician and Khadim (caretaker) of Ajmer Sharif Dargah. He was one of the main culprits in the Ajmer rape and blackmail case in the early 1990s.
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Wiki/Biography
Farooq Chishti aka Farooq Chishti aka Farooq Chishti was born in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. After completing his formal education, he became active in local politics and became the President of the Indian Youth Congress in Ajmer.
Farooq Chishti and Nafees Chishti with their friends
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 7″
Weight (Approx): 70kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
He belongs to an extended family of Khadims of Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings.
wife and kids
There is not much information about his wife and children.
Religion
He follows Islam.
blackmailing local girls
In 1990, a young girl named Geeta, a Class 12 student at Savitri School in Ajmer, made up her mind to join the Congress party. Luckily, she met an acquaintance named Ajay, who claimed that he knew individuals who could help her with her aspirations, such as Nafees and Farooq Chishti. During their conversation, Geeta used to express her desire for a gas connection, as it was of great importance at that time. Ajay takes advantage of this and introduces her to Nafees and Farooq Chishti and assures her that they are trustworthy people.
Anwar Chishti, Nafees Chishti, and Farooq Chishti with a friend (left to right)
Farooq and Nafees have several meetings with Geeta in the presence of Ajay, and promise to get her a position within the Congress. They also gave him forms to fill out, which included the requirement of a passport size photograph. Feeling reassured by their actions, Geeta does not suspect any wrongdoing when Nafees and Farooq offer her a ride one day while she is on her way to school; However, instead of taking her to school, they take her to a farmhouse against her will.
The farm house where girls were raped in Ajmer 92 case
He believed that the purpose of this affair was to discuss his participation in the Congress; However, once she was alone with Nafees, he forcibly assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she did not meet his demands. A few days later, Nafees confronted her again, repeating the threats and warning her of the consequences of speaking about the assault. This marked the beginning of a series of coercive actions. Nafees and Farooq were induced to introduce Geeta as their ‘brother’ to other girls with the intention of building trust. These girls were invited to the gatherings, called ‘parties’, at the farmhouse or at Farooq’s bungalow on Foy Sagar Road.
van that was used to abduct the girls
Many of these women were victims of sexual assault by one or more perpetrators, who often photographed the attacks as a means of further control and ensuring the silence of survivors through shame and blackmail. The gang allegedly exploited over 250 school and college girls.
Leaked photos revealed!
The dissemination of the sexual assault images took a dark turn when some employees of the photo lab where the photos were developed began sharing them, leading to further abuse; However, this inadvertently made the matter known to the public. Purshottam, a reel developer, bragged about these objectionable images when his neighbor, Devendra Jain, was looking at a pornographic magazine, and Purshottam bragged about the even more explicit images, calling them ‘the real stuff’.
A picture of one of the victims of the Ajmer rape case
Devendra made copies of the photographs and sent them to the local Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) group and the newspaper Dainik Navjyoti. VHP workers then handed over the photographs to the police, which led to the launch of an official investigation.
Ajmer rape case 1992 convicts
Police investigation and public protests
On 21 April 1992, local journalist Santosh Gupta wrote his initial report for Dainik Navjyoti, highlighting the issue of sexual abuse; However, this did not attract significant attention until the newspaper published a second report on 15 May 1992, which included nude images of survivors, causing an immediate uproar. The shocking revelations and images sparked public anger, which led to a complete shutdown of activities in Ajmer on May 18 as a sign of protest against the heinous crime.
A newspaper cutting of Ajmer rape case 1992
Reporter Santosh Gupta who exposed the blackmailing racket
FIR number 90/1992 was registered in Ajmer’s Ganj police station regarding rape and blackmailing. On 27 May 1992, the police took a significant step by issuing National Security Act (NSA) warrants against some of the accused involved in the case. Three days later, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) North Ajmer Hari Prasad Sharma lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at Ganj police station. After this, Superintendent of Police (SP) of CID-Crime Branch from Jaipur, NK Patni was sent to Ajmer to conduct a thorough investigation of the matter.
arrest and release
Of the eighteen persons implicated in the case, one of them, Purushottam, died by suicide in 1994. The initial trial involved eight suspects, who were sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Sessions Court in 1998; However, in 2001, the Rajasthan High Court acquitted four of them, and later the Supreme Court reduced the sentence of the remaining four to ten years in 2003. Thereafter, the remaining accused were arrested and tried at different intervals over the next decades. Farooq claimed mental incapacity to stand trial; However, in 2007, a fast-track court found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. In 2013, the Rajasthan High Court determined that he had served a sufficient term and was later released.
Farooq Chishti after his release
life after release
After his release, Farooq Chishti has been living a relatively privileged life in Ajmer. As of 2023, they are known to be frequent visitors to the Dargah Sharif, where some individuals still engage in the ritual of kissing their hands. Public perception in the city has been critical of Farooq’s treatment, especially because of his association with the prestigious Khadim family, where he is considered a respected elder.
Farooq Chishti (wearing a garland) at Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
in popular media
In 2021, a web series titled ‘Ajmer 1992’ was announced, based on the events surrounding the 1992 Ajmer rape case. The series is directed by Pushpendra Singh and stars talented film and theater actor Sahil Mishra from Bhopal in a pivotal role. The web series is estimated to be available for streaming from December 2021. In July 2023, the film Ajmer 92 starring Karan Verma, Sumit Singh and Rajesh Sharma, directed by Pushpendra Singh, was released.
Sumit Singh as Geeta Singh in Ajmer 92
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn