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A 17-year-old Class 12 student in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, endured unimaginable brutality after being kidnapped and gang-raped by 23 men over seven days, from March 29 to April 4. Shockingly, some of the accused were known to her—former classmates and Instagram contacts—making the betrayal even more harrowing.
Police have filed an FIR against all 23 suspects. Six have been arrested, but 11 remain unidentified, and teams are scrambling to track them down.
How the Nightmare Began
The survivor’s ordeal started on March 29 when a friend took her to a hookah bar in Varanasi’s Pishachmochan area. There, she was allegedly drugged with a spiked drink and later dragged to multiple hotels in Sigra, where she was gang-raped.
Her mother told police, “As per her statement, on March 29, a friend took her to a hookah bar… where other men also joined. The girl alleged that she was drugged with a spiked cold drink and then taken to different hotels… where she was gang-raped.”
A Relentless Cycle of Abuse
The horror didn’t stop. Over the next six days, the teenager was repeatedly abducted, drugged, and assaulted:
- March 30: Two men forced her onto a motorcycle, raped her near a highway, and dumped her in Nadesar.
- March 31: Five men took her to a Maldahiya restaurant, drugged her, and gang-raped her.
- April 1: Another group forced her to massage a client at a hotel, where she was assaulted. Later, a different man raped her at another hotel.
- April 2: After escaping to a Sigra mall, two men gave her drugged noodles; one raped her and left her at Assi Ghat.
- April 3: Still intoxicated, she was taken by two more men to a hotel, gang-raped again, and abandoned at Chowkaghat.
- April 4: She finally reached a friend’s house and was brought home.
Police Action and Legal Charges
After the family filed a complaint at Lalpur Police Station, authorities swiftly registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of:
- Gang rape (Section 70(1))
- Outraging modesty (Section 74)
- Administering intoxicants (Section 123)
- Wrongful confinement (Section 127(2))
Six arrests were made overnight, with suspects from Hukulganj and Lallapura in custody. Police are scrutinizing CCTV footage from the hookah bar and questioning staff.
Challenges in the Investigation
- Minors Involved? Authorities suspect some accused may be underage, complicating legal proceedings.
- Unidentified Accused: Over half the suspects remain unnamed, with teams deployed to trace them.
- Survivor’s Trauma: The girl, a sports aspirant who trained daily, is now under medical and psychological care.
What Next?
- Forensic analysis of evidence, including drug traces.
- Expedited arrests of remaining suspects.
- Protection for the survivor and family amid threats.
DCP Chandrakant Mina assured: “Multiple teams are working to ensure all perpetrators face justice.”
