Two arrested for allegedly raping and blackmailing minor in Bhopal

The Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested two men in connection with the alleged rape of a minor girl inside four cars on various occasions and blackmailing her, officers said on Friday (February 13, 2026).

According to the police, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped by Ausaf Ali Khan (19 years old) on various occasions last year while his friend, Maaz Khan (21), recorded a video of the two, which the duo used to blackmail her to sexually assault her and extort money from her. A complaint regarding the assault was received at Kohefiza on January 2.

Shahjahanabad Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anil Bajpai told The Hindu that the alleged assault took place between May and June last year after the prime accused, Ausaf, befriended the girl through mutual friends.

“He had taken her to a secluded place and raped her in a car and recorded the act,” Mr. Bajpai said, adding that Maaz had aided his friend with the planning.

Mr. Bajpai said that while Ausaf was arrested on February 3 and is currently in judicial custody, Maaz was nabbed on February 8 and is in police remand till the 13th. He said that an FIR was filed under charges of rape, extortion and the POCSO Act.

“We have seized four different cars in which he [Ausaf] had raped her,” he added. 

The case has now been transferred to a special investigation team (SIT) by Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra. 

ACP Ankita Khatarkar, who is leading the SIT, said that the team is examining technical evidence at the moment.

“We are yet to recover the mobile phone of the second accused,” she said, adding that a detailed probe is on in the case. 

Mr. Bajpai said that the two accused are residents of the Kohefiza area only.

“Ausaf has said that he is doing a course in cyber security in Mumbai and Maaz has a gym here,” he added.

Kohefiza police station in-charge Krishna Gopal Sharma said that the accused had managed to extort about ₹40,000 from the girl.

“They had asked for ₹1 lakh and when the girl could not pay more, they forced her into religious conversion by threatening to leak the videos,” Mr. Sharma said.