Markets closed in Rajasthan's Masuda, nearby areas in protest against sexual assault of minor girls

Three FIRs were registered last week against 10 men based on complaints from the family members of five victims. The complaints alleged that the accused contacted the minor girls through social media, gifted them Chinese mobile phones and sexually exploited them.

Jaipur: The markets in Rajasthan's Masuda town and nearby areas remained closed for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in protest against the alleged sexual assault and attempted forced conversion of five minor girls in Beawar district's Bijainagar, a police official said.

Eight people, including a former ward councillor, have been arrested and three minors have been detained in connection with the case so far.

"Markets are closed in Masuda town and nearby areas on Tuesday. So far, eight people, including a ward councillor, have been arrested and three minors have been detained," Masuda DSP Sajjan Singh said.

The markets were also shut on Monday in Beawar, Bijainagar, Kekdi, Masuda, Sarwad and nearby locations as various organisations took out rallies demanding strict punishment for the accused.

Last week, three FIRs were registered against 10 men based on complaints from the family members of five victims. The complaints alleged that the accused contacted the minor girls through social media, gifted them Chinese mobile phones and sexually exploited them.

Some victims also accused the men of blackmailing them into religious conversion, police said.

Bijaipur station house officer Karan Singh said four of the accused -- Luqman, Sohail Mansoori, Ryan Mohammad and Afraz -- were produced before the court after completing their five-day police remand. The court sent them to judicial custody.

On Monday, the Bijainagar municipality removed encroachments at the residence of one of the accused. The administration also sealed at least two gates of a century-old graveyard, including the main gate.

"A notice was issued to the graveyard and one of the accused. After scrutinising the documents, we found some encroachments, which were removed,” said the executive officer of Bijainagar municipality, Pratap Singh Bhati.

Masuda DSP Sajjan Singh said that a former ward councillor, Hakim Qureshi, had been arrested over his alleged involvement in the case. He was presented before a court in Kotda on Sunday evening, from where he was sent on a five-day police remand.