Varanasi Rape Case Uncovers Sinister Gang Behind Drugging, Sextortion, and Targeting Young Girls at Continental Cafe

The probe into the horrific Varanasi gangrape case, which shocked the nation and involves a 19-year-old victim and 23 accused individuals, has revealed a brutal drug network and an organized syndicate that sexually exploited and blackmailed women. To date, the police have apprehended 12 of the 23 suspects named in the FIR for drugging and assaulting the victim across multiple locations over the course of six days.

(Image via Dall-E)

PM Modi Directs Authorities to Take Sternest Action Against the Accused

Upon arriving in Varanasi today (11th April), Prime Minister Modi directed the police to take the toughest possible measures against those responsible for the incident. Immediately after landing, he received a briefing from the police commissioner, divisional commissioner, and district magistrate regarding the progress of the investigation.

The cafe owner, his gang and their modus operandi

Anmol Gupta, identified as the orchestrator of a drug and sex trafficking operation, allegedly ran the scheme from his Continental Cafe. Initially a noodle vendor at a food stall in Sigra, Gupta reportedly transformed into the cafe's owner within two years, using it as the hub for his illicit activities. Leading a 15-member gang, Gupta is accused of luring young girls, drugging them, sexually exploiting them, and recording the acts to blackmail them for continued abuse by gang members and clients.

Each member of Gupta’s gang had a designated role. Sohail, a law student, served as Gupta’s key lieutenant. Raj Vishwakarma, employed in a private job, handled drug distribution. Sajid was tasked with ensnaring girls, while Ayush targeted school and college students to draw them to the cafe. Tanveer, alias Sameer, a car mechanic and drug addict, recruited customers. Imran, a 12th-grade student, recorded the exploitation videos. Danish promoted the cafe on social media, with 18 videos of victims found on his phone, suggesting multiple victims were exploited and assaulted by the gang.

Victim Endured Days of Abuse Across Multiple Locations by Several Perpetrators

The FIR states that the victim was sedated and repeatedly assaulted by multiple individuals at various locations, including hotels, hookah bars, lodges, and cafes. The brutal attacks began on the night of March 29, 2025, when the victim, a resident of Lalpur Pandeypur police station area in Varanasi, encountered the accused, Raj Vishwakarma, while returning from a friend’s house. Vishwakarma, who knew her, took her to his cafe in the Lanka area of Varanasi, where he raped her throughout the night. On March 30, Sameer, Ayush Singh, and others also raped her, threatening to release videos of the assault. The following day, Sohail, Danish, Anmol, Sajid, and Zaheer joined the group, drugged the victim, and took her to Continental Cafe, where they raped her while she was unconscious.

On April 1, Sajid and his friends took her to a hotel named Girls’ Hostel, where three unknown men were already present. Despite her protests, she was forced to massage the men, and one of them raped her during the massage. Later, Imran took her to another hotel on a bike, where he again drugged and raped her. Afterwards, Sajid and his friends took her to a warehouse in Aurangabad, where Zaib raped her. The abuse continued as she was taken to a room by Sajid, accompanied by Aman and another man, who also raped her. Afterward, they abandoned her on the road, and she spent the night near Sigra IP Mall.

On April 2, Raj Khan and a friend found her near the mall, took her to a house in Hukulganj Bagwanala, where they fed her sedative-laced noodles and raped her. They then dumped her unconscious at Assi Ghat. The next day, she managed to reach a friend's house. On April 3, while leaving the friend's house in the evening, she met Danish, who took her to a room where Sohail, Shoaib, and another man were already present. They all raped her before abandoning her near Chowkghat. On April 4, the victim finally reached her home. Due to the sedatives, she couldn’t speak for 24 hours. Once she regained consciousness, she shared the details of the horrific assaults with her family.

A case was filed by the victim’s mother on April 7, and the police are currently searching for the suspects, who remain at large.

(This Article was originally published by OpIndia)