Class 12 girl drugged, abducted & raped by 23 men for a week; Police arrests 6

A Class 12 student from Varanasi has alleged that she was drugged, confined, and gang-raped by 23 men over a span of seven days, triggering massive outrage and a police investigation. According to the FIR filed on April 6, the alleged assault took place between March 29 and April 4.

The girl, who was preparing for a sports admission course at UP College, had reportedly gone missing on March 29 after she was taken to a hookah bar in Varanasi’s Pishachmochan area by a friend. From there, she alleges that she was given a spiked cold drink and subsequently transported to several hotels in the city’s Sigra locality, where multiple men raped her over several days.

Varanasi Police have booked 23 men under serious sections of the IPC, including gang-rape, wrongful confinement, and criminal conspiracy. Out of the 23 accused, 11 remain unidentified, while six men have been detained as of now. Officials are also verifying the identities of other suspects.

Initial investigations reveal that some of the accused were known to the survivor through Instagram or were former classmates. The girl’s family filed a missing person complaint on April 4, following which she was located the same day. However, at the time, neither the girl nor her family disclosed any sexual assault allegations.

According to DCP Varuna Zone Chandra Kant Meena, the survivor later revealed the details of the ordeal, prompting the police to formally register an FIR on April 6. CCTV footage from the hookah bar and surrounding areas is now being examined, and the staff is being questioned to verify the survivor's timeline of events.

The police have confirmed that the girl is not a minor, despite some reports suggesting otherwise. Legal proceedings are underway, and the case is being monitored at a senior level given the gravity of the allegations and the number of accused involved.