Deenbandhu Chaudhary is an Indian journalist who worked for local newspaper Dainik Navajyoti and became popular for his coverage of the 1992 Ajmer rape case.
Wiki/Biography
Deenbandhu Chaudhary was born on Saturday, December 19, 1936, in Khadlai, Rajasthan (age 86 in 2023). His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He pursued BSc in Mathematics from Rajasthan University, Jaipur.
appearance
Hair color: Bald
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Deenbandhu’s father’s name is Durga Prasad and his mother’s name is Vimla Devi Chaudhary.
wife and children
He married Pratibha Agarwal on May 11, 1965. They have two sons, Narendra Chaudhary and Harsh Chaudhary, and a daughter, Neelima Chaudhary.
Profession
He is a member of the All India Newspaper Almanac, Delhi since 1957. He was a member of the Delhi Indian Language Newspapers Association and a member of the Delhi Indian Language Newspapers Association in 1959. In 1990, he became the president of Ajmer Zila Patrakar Sangh. From 1993 to 1994, he served as a member of the Jaipur-Rajasthan Telephone Advisory Committee. In 1993, he became a member of the Rajasthan Postal Advisory Committee, Jaipur. He has also served as a member of the Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Mines, Government of India, and a member of the Railway Advisory Committee, North Western and Railway Departments. In 1987, he became the general secretary of Ajmer Civic Council. From 1994 to 1995, he served as a member of the Consumer Advisory Committee of Zonal Runway, Mumbai. He is also a member of the Regional Consumer Advisory Council. In 1980, he became a member of the Rotary Club. In 1992, he was elected as the President of Ajmer Club.
Ajmer rape case report
A serial gang-rape and extortion case occurred in Ajmer, Rajasthan in 1992. Research shows the scandal involved hundreds of college and high school students. The incident attracted attention after the local newspaper Navajyoti published a report about the publication of some nude photos and the extortion of schoolchildren by local gangs. According to the study, the victims were sent to farmhouses or bungalows over the years until 1992, when one or more men sexually assaulted them there. Additionally, the defendants took explicit photos of their victims and later used them to blackmail them. The girls’ photos used to be taken at Bharosa Color Lab, a nearby photo studio. According to police investigations, locals were aware of the activity taking place nearby but did not report it.
The room where the girl was raped in the poultry farm
The scandal unfolded through a network of serial offenders, mainly involving influential local men, who specifically targeted young girls. The incident began when Farooq Chisti seduced a girl from Sophia High School in Ajmer and obtained her explicit photos. He used the photos to blackmail her into introducing him to her classmates and friends. Once he gained access to them, he began raping, sexually assaulting and taking obscene photos of his victims. This pattern continued over a long period of time and the gang expanded its victims to include more girls. They would film girls in compromising situations and exploit them using these images as a means of control. Deenbandhu, who was the editor of Navajyoti magazine at the time, revealed that local law enforcement was in the dark for nearly a year before the scandal became public. However, they did not launch any investigation into the politicians involved. Chaudhry himself had reservations about publishing the story due to the perpetrators’ links to the influential “Khadims” family. However, he decided to pursue the story as a way to pressure local authorities to take action against those responsible.
Clip of story reported by Deenbandhu Chaudhary in 1992
After further investigation, the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the initial eight accused.
FIR in rape case registered in 1992
As the investigation progressed, a total of 18 men were charged in the case, sparking protests and creating tension in the local community. After the defendants were arrested, a government-imposed shutdown was imposed for three days, and news of exploitation and extortion began to circulate. Omendra Bhardwaj, a retired police inspector from Rajasthan who was then deputy inspector general of police in Ajmer, said the victims were afraid to speak out against the accused because of their social and economic clout. He further mentioned that some young and vulnerable victims tragically took their own lives and many others disputed the accounts given in court. The criminals are also suspected of having links to groups such as Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, Pakistan Hizb-e-Islam and the Dawat Islamic Group. Multiple victims reported facing harassment and threats, with little support from society or even their families. The victim’s advocacy group Ajmer Mahila Samooh also faced threats and eventually withdrew from the case. All 19 people involved face kidnapping charges. During the investigation, it was discovered that the main accused Farooq Chishtee was serving as the president of the Ajmer Youth Congress. Initially, he was declared mentally unstable but in 2007, he was convicted by a fast-track court in Ajmer. Ajmer Indian National Congress vice-president Nafis Chishti and Ajmer Indian National Congress joint secretary Anwar Chishti are also implicated in the case. In addition, Moijullah alias Puttan, Ishrat Ali, Anwar Chishtee and Shamshuddin alias Meradona were also sentenced by the court. On January 4, 2012, Saiyed Saleem Chishtee, one of the main accused, was arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police. Alamas, the other main defendant, managed to evade capture for a long time. Prosecuting defendants has proven challenging because many victims are reluctant to come forward, according to police and women-focused NGOs. However, the presence of photos and videos used for extortion can help identify the perpetrators. Reports indicate that 30 victims have been identified, but only 12 cases have been opened. Of the twelve, ten withdrew their cases, leaving only two to take legal action. One of the 18 defendants accused of kidnapping, gang rape and violating the Indecent Women Act committed suicide. In 2013, the Rajasthan High Court reduced the life sentence to the period already served by the client. According to certain police statements, it was revealed that some popular tabloids at the time were also involved in blackmailing the victims. The tabloids had access to explicit images of the girls and demanded money from the victims’ families to prevent the images from being published.
Achievement
Marquis Who’s Who recognizes him as a prominent newspaper publisher.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2013, he was honored as the Guest of Honor at the Leadership Summit 2013, held at the famous Surya Mahal in Bhilwara.
- On July 21, 2023, the movie “Ajmer 92” directed by Pushpendra Singh and produced by Umesh Kumar Tiwari was released in cinemas. The play is based on the Ajmer rape case that took place in 1992.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education