Rajasthan High Court Junks Plea Seeking Ban On Release Of Film 'Ajmer 92' Based On 1992 'Ajmer Sex Scandal'

The Rajasthan High Court on Monday junked a petition seeking a ban on the release of the film ‘Ajmer 92’ in theatres and OTT Platforms. The plea claimed that the film was nothing but a deliberate attempt to defame the Dargah Sherif Ajmer and that its trailer contains provocative and blasphemous dialogues.

The film, scheduled to be released on July 14, 2023, is based on the infamous Ajmer Sex Scandal of 1992 concerning the alleged serial gang rape and blackmailing of more than 100 school/college girls.

The plea, filed by Anjuman Moinia Fakhriya Chishtiya Khuddam Khwaja Saheb (aka Anjuman Syedzadgan), claimed that the film showcases defamatory or derogatory content, visuals, info and images of Dome of Dargah Sharif Ajmer, sacred symbols buildings, mosques, rituals of Dargah related to “Dargah Sharif Ajmer and Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty” showing it in a negative light.

Having perused the case records, the bench of Justice Inderjeet Singh observed thus:

"Admittedly, since the petitioner is having the alternative remedy of revision before the Central Government under Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 with regard to grievances raised in the present writ petition, therefore, no case is made out for interference by this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India."

It may be noted that the film in question, directed by Pushpendra Singh, revolves around the 1992 Ajmer Sex Scandal concerning over 100 school and college girls, who were allegedly lured by a gang consisting of Muslim men, which misled them and took them to places for parties etc, and thereafter, they were forcibly subjected to sexual exploitation.

The girls were photographed in obscene poses and after that, they were blackmailed by threatening their exposure and adopting other means. The allegations were levelled primarily against Nafees Chishti and Farooq Chishti, of the powerful Chishti family in Ajmer. 

The plea further claimed that the film depicts the entire Chisty community in a negative light and it further, paints Khadims as criminals.

Appearances

For Petitioner(s): Advocates Ajay Singh, Deepa Choudhary with Prawal Mishra, Pradeep Kumar Malakar, Jay Prakash and Tribhuvan Singh Rajpoot

For Respondent(s): ASG R.D. Rastogi, with Advocates C.S. Sinha, Harendra Singh Ranawat and Devesh Yadav 

Case title - Anjuman Moinia Fakhria Chishtiya Khuddam Khwaja Saheb (Syedzadgan), Dargah Sharif, Ajmer vs. Union Of India and others [S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9631/2023]

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Raj) 64

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