Balaghat to Khandwa: Unending Crimes Against Hindu Minor Girls

When a 15-year-old Hindu girl is dragged into the dark pit of sexual assault and blackmail, one would expect the justice system to rise like a guardian of her rights. Yet, the Balaghat case exposes a grim reality — a society where the pain of daughters is often met with silence, and justice trudges behind bureaucracy and bias.

The horrifying ordeal began on October 26, when the girl went to a local fair. What should have been a moment of youthful innocence turned into a nightmare. Four Islamist youths — Danish, Ayyub Qureshi, and two minors — allegedly filmed her in an objectionable video without consent. What followed was not only physical violation but psychological and emotional torment — threats, extortion, and the fear of public humiliation.

Despite the survivor’s family approaching the police promptly, action was delayed until members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and local residents stormed the police station demanding justice. Only then did the machinery of law begin to move — a reminder that often, justice in India requires outrage before action.

What’s more disturbing is that one of the accused, Ayyub Khan, already has eight criminal cases against him. How does a habitual offender continue to roam free, capable of committing another heinous crime? The question pierces the conscience of the judiciary — a system designed to protect, now appearing complicit through its complacency.

This isn’t an isolated episode. From Khandwa to Lalitpur, a chilling pattern is emerging — Hindu minor girls targeted through deceit, blackmail, and coercion.

Earlier this year, a similar case in Khandwa shocked Madhya Pradesh. There, a young Hindu Scheduled Caste girl was allegedly raped and subjected to forced conversion attempts by an accused named Firdaus Khan.

The parallels between Balaghat and Khandwa are striking—both involved blackmail, sexual assault, and the use of religious pressure to dominate and silence victims. Both incidents have raised questions about the adequacy of the legal and policing response when Hindu minor girls are the victims.

Despite the POCSO Act and provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the perpetrators seem emboldened by a system that bends over procedural delays rather than moral urgency.

The judiciary’s approach often feels like a balancing act between law and political correctness. But how long can the cries of Hindu daughters go unheard? Each delay in justice is an endorsement of the next crime. Each ignored FIR becomes an invitation for another predator.

When society fails to protect its daughters, when justice comes only after protests and memorandums, we must ask: what kind of message are we sending to these girls and their families? The repeated targeting of Hindu minors across districts reflects not isolated criminality but a deeper, organized rot that demands national introspection.

Balaghat is not just a police case—it is a mirror to our moral paralysis. Until every perpetrator is punished with the urgency and severity the law allows, the slogan of “justice for daughters” will remain an empty promise.

Author’s Note:
Harshita Rai writes on law, policy, and society. Her columns focus on the intersection of justice, governance, and public morality.