A fact-finding committee of the National Commission for Women (NCW) has revealed alarming details suggesting coercion for religious conversion and the possible involvement of an organised criminal network in the recent sexual assault and blackmail case at a Bhopal college.
The case centers around a group of male students accused of drugging and raping several female students. The assaults were reportedly filmed, and the videos were used to blackmail the victims into introducing more girls to the perpetrators, threatening to expose them publicly.
The NCW inquiry committee, headed by retired IPS officer Nirmal Kaur and comprising advocate Nirmala Nayak and Under Secretary Ashutosh Pandey, conducted a visit to Bhopal from May 3 to 5. During their visit, the members met with survivors, their families, police officials, and representatives from the educational institutions involved. The committee also inspected locations where the victims were allegedly drugged and assaulted.
According to the committee’s findings, the accused lured the victims with expensive gifts and vehicles before drugging them and taking objectionable photographs to leverage blackmail. In some instances, victims were reportedly pressured to convert their religion.
Despite facing severe emotional trauma and societal pressure, the survivors displayed extraordinary courage by filing FIRs and cooperating with authorities, the committee noted.
The inquiry further highlighted that while the accused hailed from modest economic backgrounds, their lavish lifestyles suggested potential links to drug trafficking and organised crime.
