Class 11 girl gang-raped, blackmailed in Bhopal, forced to convert; SIT to probe

The SIT will investigate if the accused targeted other young women and how the victim came into contact with them.

The police on Thursday formed a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the rape and blackmail of a Class 11 student in four different cars, officials said.

Representational image.

The accused, Osali Ali Khan (20), raped the girl multiple times while his friend Mohammad Maaz Khan (23), a gym owner, filmed the crime and blackmailed her. The girl filed the complaint on February 2 and the police arrested both under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Freedom of Religion Act, and the Information Technology Act.

The SIT, led by additional commissioner of police Ankita Khatarkar, will investigate if the accused targeted other young women and how the victim came into contact with them.

The accused were being interrogated when Maaz confessed on Thursday that they had hatched a conspiracy against the girl, deputy commissioner of police (Zone-3) Abhinav Chauksey said.

“The minor student was raped by accused Osaf Ali Khan for the first time in Khanugaon area in Thar a few weeks ago. Maaz had shot the video from outside using an iPhone. Later, Osaf raped her multiple times in four different luxury cars by blackmailing her with the video. Maaz also sexually harassed her by sending obscene messages. They forced the girl for conversion,” the police said on Friday.

The police recovered obscene messages sent to the girl and CDR details confirming the presence of the accused at the crime scenes. However, the mobile phones used to shoot the video were thrown away by the accused in Rajasthan.

Head constable Gyanendra Divedi, posted at Kohefija police station, was suspended after his links with Maaz surfaced. Gyanendra reportedly was paid ₹50,000 for helping Maaz during the investigation.