‘Illegal’ houses of two rape accused razed in M.P. under security

Houses of two men, arrested for allegedly raping and blackmailing multiple college girls, were demolished on Saturday (September 13, 2025) in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal amid heavy security arrangements, officials said, adding that the properties were illegal. 

In April, six female students from a private college had lodged cases against in different police stations of the city. The police have so far arrested five men, Including the prime accused Farhan Ali, a former student of the same college, for allegedly befriending them with fake identities, sexually assaulting them and recording their private videos to blackmail them into introducing their friends to more men. The girls had also alleged that they were also forced for religious conversion by the accused, according to the police. 

Bhopal Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh told The Hindu that the houses were built on illegally encroached government land and that the families of the two men were living there on rent. 

“There was a court order, declaring the properties illegal and notices were served to the residents in advance,” Mr. Singh said, adding that the exercise was carried out in accordance with rules and smoothly. 

While houses of two accused — Saad and Sahil Khan— were demolished on Saturday, Mr. Singh said that action on Farhan’s house is pending due to a court stay.

The houses were demolished around 5 a.m. in tight police security. 

Speaking to The Hindu, Additional DCP, Bhopal zone 2, Rashmi Agarwal Dubey said that extensive security measures were taken before the exercise was carried out and the nearby area was cordoned off. 

“The administration had asked us to make all necessary arrangements. In that process, we cordoned off the entire neighbourhood to avoid any law and order situation,” said Ms. Agarwal Dubey, while adding that the local public was taken into confidence before hand.

“We inspected the houses and the nearby area yesterday [Friday] when the administration was marking the buildings for demolition. They were curious and concerned due to the police movement so, we told the locals that only the marked buildings will be demolished and that they will not face any problems. We also held meetings with local community representatives to take them into confidence,” the Addl. DCP said, adding that the entire exercise was conducted peacefully. 

Ms. Dubey said personnel from the local police station as well as from nearby areas were deployed along with senior officers to monitor the situation. 

“We also had quick response teams on standby to deal with any situation,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang, who is also an MLA from Bhopal’s Narela, said that “no culprit of love jihad will be spared”.

Welcoming the demolition exercise, Mr. Sarang said, “The action has been taken on the illegal properties of the accused as per the Supreme Court guidelines. Action will continue on such anti-social elements.”

“Those who carry out acts of love jihad to convert Hindu women by luring them into marriage promises will not be spared. If this is an organised crime, it will be exposed too,” he said, speaking to reporters. 

Earlier, the Bhopal Police had formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations. A senior officer, part of the SIT, had said that several private pictures and videos of the complainants as well as of various other women had been found on the phones seized from the accused.