Rajasthan: Beawar dist tense over alleged sexual exploitation, conversion racket; several arrested
Jaipur: Rajasthan’s Beawar district is tense over allegations of a targeted sexual exploitation and conversion racket involving schoolgirls in Masuda, a town with a population of around one lakh.
Protests and market shutdowns have spread across Masuda and nearby areas.
People have held rallies and multiple arrests have been made, including that of a former councillor.
According to PTI, three FIRs have been registered against 11 individuals, including three minors, based on complaints from the families of five survivors.
The families allege that the accused contacted the girls via social media, lured them with Chinese mobile phones, and sexually exploited them.
Police officials told PTI that some survivors also claimed they were blackmailed and coerced into religious conversion.
Among those arrested is former ward councillor Hakim Qureshi, who has been remanded to police custody for five days, Masuda DSP Sajjan Singh confirmed.
Four other accused—Luqman, Sohail Mansoori, Ryan Mohammad, and Afraz—were sent to judicial custody on Sunday following a five-day police remand.
Reports indicate that the communal aspect of the case has heightened tensions in Beawar, as the accused and the survivors belong to different communities.
One of the survivors, speaking to a TV channel, alleged that the perpetrators blackmailed them using intimate photographs.
She claimed that 14–15 boys were involved in the sextortion racket and that five girls from her class had been victimised, with the possibility of more affected girls.
Protests have intensified, with markets shutting down in Beawar, Masuda, Bijainagar, Kekdi, and Sarwad.
Various organisations are demanding strict action against the accused.
DSP Singh told The Indian Express that no incriminating photographs had been found on the seized phones of the accused so far, and the devices have been sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for further analysis.
Police are still awaiting the medical reports of the survivors.
The first FIR was lodged on February 16 after complaints from two families, with three more families filing similar allegations soon after.
On February 18, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticised the BJP-led state government over women’s safety, citing incidents in Beawar and Tonk, where girls were reportedly gang-raped.
“Will girls stop leaving their homes due to insecurity under the BJP rule?” Gehlot posted on X.
The case has sparked outrage, with mounting pressure on the government and police.
While authorities continue their investigation, allegations of sexual exploitation, blackmail, and conversion attempts have triggered widespread unrest in Masuda and surrounding areas, leading to shutdowns and protests demanding justice.
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