The horrific gang rape case in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where a 19-year-old Class 12 student was allegedly assaulted by 23 men over seven days, from March 29 to April 4, 2025. This incident has sparked widespread outrage in India, and I’ll break it down in as much detail as possible based on what’s known so far.
The victim, a resident of the Lalpur-Pandeypur area in Varanasi, left home on March 29, 2025, reportedly with a friend—an action her family described as routine since she often visited friends without issue. This time, however, she didn’t return, and her family didn’t file a missing person report until April 4, the day she finally came back home. According to her account, shared later with her family and police, she was lured to a hookah bar in the Pishachmochan area by this friend. There, she alleges she was drugged with a spiked cold drink, marking the beginning of a week-long nightmare.
Over the next seven days, she claims she was held captive and repeatedly assaulted by a total of 23 men at various locations across Varanasi, including hotels in the Sigra area, a café in Lanka, a warehouse, and even roadside spots like a highway near Nadesar. Some reports suggest the accused passed her around, with different groups taking her to different places. She described being drugged multiple times, which left her disoriented and unable to escape. Among the assailants were individuals she knew—former classmates and Instagram contacts—adding a chilling layer of betrayal to the ordeal.
The timeline of her allegations, as pieced together from her family’s complaint and police statements, unfolds like this: On March 29, after being drugged at the hookah bar, she was taken to hotels in Sigra and assaulted by multiple men. On March 30, while walking on the road, she encountered one of the accused and his friend, who forced her onto a motorcycle, raped her again near a highway, and abandoned her in Nadesar. The next day, March 31, another group—named in the FIR as Sohel, Anmol, Danish, Sajid, and Zahir—allegedly took her to the Continental Café in Sigra, drugged her again, and raped her one by one. On April 1, Sajid and others reportedly took her to a hotel where she was assaulted by additional men, including one she was forced to “massage” before being raped again. This pattern of abduction, drugging, and assault continued until April 4, when she was finally released or escaped—she was found at the Pandeypur intersection, from where she made her way to a friend’s place before reaching home.
Upon returning, she confided in her family about the ordeal. Initially, no sexual assault complaint was filed when the police located her on April 4 after the missing person report. It wasn’t until April 6 that her mother lodged a formal complaint at the Lalpur-Pandeypur police station, detailing the gang rape. The FIR names 12 of the accused—Raj Vishwakarma, Sameer, Ayush Singh, Sohel, Danish Khan, Anmol, Sajid, Zahir, Imran, Shoaib, Firoz Khan, and Shivam Savitri (a hookah bar owner)—while 11 others remain unidentified. The charges filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) include Section 70(1) for gang rape, Section 74 for outraging modesty, Section 123 for administering harmful substances, Section 126(2) for obstructing movement, Section 127(2) for wrongful confinement, and Section 351(2) for criminal intimidation.
The police response was swift once the rape complaint was filed. By April 6, six of the named accused—Shivam Savitri, Abhishek Yadav, Anurag Pandey, Shubham Sonkar, Firoz Khan, and Arpit Pandey—were arrested. Some reports also list Ayush Singh, Danish Khan, Anmol, Sajid, and Imran among those detained, though there’s slight variation in names across sources, possibly due to aliases or early reporting inconsistencies. These arrests took place in areas like Hukulganj and Lallapura, and the police have since formed multiple teams to hunt down the remaining suspects. They’re reviewing CCTV footage from the hookah bar, hotels, and other locations, questioning staff, and analyzing call records to identify the unidentified 11 and corroborate the victim’s account.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Varuna Zone, Chandrakant Meena, has been vocal about the case. He clarified that the victim is 19, not a minor as some early reports suggested, and noted the delay in reporting the assault: “The girl had initially left willingly with her friend. A missing person report was filed on April 4, and she was found the same day. At that time, no complaint of sexual assault was made by her or her family. The rape complaint was only lodged on April 6.” Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Cantonment, Vidush Saxena, added that the investigation is ongoing, with legal formalities underway and efforts intensifying to apprehend the rest of the accused.
The victim initially refused a medical examination, which raised questions, but after counseling on April 7, she underwent one, though results haven’t been publicly disclosed as of now. Her background—she’s a Class 12 student preparing for a sports course and working part-time at a hotel spa—has been mentioned in some reports, painting a picture of a young woman caught in a horrifying trap.
Public reaction has been explosive, especially on platforms like X, where posts reflect anger, grief, and demands for justice. Some users have pointed out perceived media silence, calling it a “Godi media” blackout, while others question the family’s delay in reporting her missing, noting it took seven days for them to act. This has fueled speculation and debate, though no evidence suggests the family’s inaction negates her claims. The police investigation remains active, with no major updates since the initial arrests reported on April 7, 2025.
This case is a grim reminder of the vulnerabilities women face, even among supposed acquaintances, and the challenges in ensuring swift justice. If you want me to dig deeper into any specific aspect—like the legal process, social media sentiment, or investigative gaps—just let me know.
By BHARAT GLOBAL TIME
