The POCSO court in Ajmer has denied the bail petition of former councillor Hakim Qureshi, who is identified as a key figure in the Islamic conversion gang related to the Bijainagar rape-blackmail case. In its ruling, the court emphasized that coercing a Hindu minor girl to observe fasts, recite the kalma, and wear specific clothing while accompanying the accused constitutes a serious offense.
The court determined that Hakim Qureshi had conspired to send the victim with the accused, Islamist Sohail Mansuri, through intimidation. As per Bhaskar, the accused claimed that upon the victim turning 18, Sohail would elope with her and marry her. Additionally, she was pressured to abandon Hindu Dharma and convert to Islam.
Special Public Prosecutor Prashant Yadav, representing the government in the POCSO court, noted that five other accused individuals have also submitted bail petitions, which include three minors and two adults. Separate hearing dates have been scheduled for each case, with the bail petition for one minor accused set to be heard on Thursday.
Former councilor Hakim Qureshi stands as a key accused and a predatory mastermind in this horrifying case. Far from being a mere political figure, Qureshi is alleged to have actively orchestrated the grooming and coercion of minor Hindu girls for religious conversion. He did not just pressure; he manipulated and preyed upon vulnerable victims, forcing them to befriend other accused members of the gang. He is also accused of compelling the girls to abandon their cultural identity by wearing clothing dictated by the perpetrators, thereby systematically erasing their sense of self. Qureshi’s role goes beyond passive involvement; he was a central perpetrator who enabled, encouraged, and financed this dangerous network targeting Hindu girls.
Qureshi also exerted pressure on victims to engage in physical relationships, encouraging them to meet with others to recruit more girls into this group. He facilitated their outings to cafes with the accused and provided financial support to the perpetrators.
In this case, the families of the victims, who are involved in three separate lawsuits, have urged the court to deny bail. They allege that the relatives of the accused have persistently threatened them. The families contend that the accused have committed serious crimes against their daughters and therefore should not be granted bail.
The case came to light on February 15 when a minor girl filed a complaint at the Vijaynagar police station. Subsequently, another minor also registered a case, leading to reports filed by the fathers of three girls. The allegations involve the rape of minor girls attending private schools and the blackmailing of these victims through the use of obscene photos and videos.
They were being coerced into reciting the Kalma, observing Roza, and converting to Islamism. The police registered a case under the POCSO Act and other relevant sections, initiating an investigation. Following the revelation of the case, protests erupted in Bijaynagar and other locations, demanding the arrest of the accused. As the police apprehended the suspects one by one, the details of the case began to emerge. Among those accused was former councilor Hakim Qureshi.
A similar pattern of exploitation and religious coercion has been observed in past incidents, most notably the infamous 1992 Ajmer blackmail case. In both cases, perpetrators targeted young Hindu girls from specific private schools located near their own neighborhoods, leveraging their proximity to gain easy access. These criminals befriended the girls, often providing gifts and establishing contact through phones and social media, before secretly recording compromising videos and photos to blackmail them. The victims were then pressured into observing Islamic rituals such as fasting (roza) and reciting the kalma, with the ultimate goal of forcing religious conversion.
Had these predatory criminals been granted bail, there was every possibility they would have continued their systematic campaign of exploitation, blackmail, and forced religious conversion of innocent Hindu girls. Their actions expose a deeply disturbing pattern of targeting vulnerable Hindu daughters under the guise of friendship and coercion, aimed at eroding Hindu identity and culture. This verdict sends a powerful message that justice will not bow to political or communal pressures and that protecting Hindu children from such sinister designs is paramount. The refusal to release these accused has prevented further harm and reinforced the imperative that Hindu communities must remain vigilant and united against such religiously motivated crimes and conversion rackets.
