A routine police investigation into a horrific gang rape case in Varanasi has unraveled a massive and deeply disturbing sex racket with links extending across six Indian states. As details emerge, the scale and depravity of the operation have left even seasoned investigators stunned. What began as a probe into the gang rape of a 19-year-old student, who was brutally assaulted by 23 men over seven days, has now evolved into one of the largest sex crime crackdowns in the region’s recent history.
The victim, reportedly drugged and moved between hotels in Varanasi, endured relentless trauma - unbeknownst to the nation, this case was just the tip of the iceberg.
546 Nude Videos, 12 Arrests, 6 States: The Shocking Trail of Evidence
During the investigation, police arrested 12 individuals whose mobile phones contained 546 nude and obscene videos of girls. These videos were not just kept for personal viewing - they were circulated and sold across a network that spanned Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. The videos were all traced back to a single location named Continental Café, a seemingly ordinary establishment owned by Anmol Gupta, who is now believed to be the mastermind of the operation. The café, now sealed by police, had hidden cameras allegedly used to record unsuspecting girls in compromising situations.
The Mastermind had Criminal Background
The café's owner, Anmol Gupta, is no stranger to controversy. Shockingly, this isn’t his first run-in with the law. Anmol, along with his father, Sharad Gupta, was previously arrested in 2022 for running a similar racket.
Upon arrest, Anmol’s iPhone revealed not only the videos but also a digital ledger - a data sheet - of clients, recordings, and trafficking operations. During questioning, he admitted to recruiting new victims and expanding his client base by sharing explicit content and targeting vulnerable girls.
Authorities have confirmed that all 12 of the arrested individuals are drug addicts, many with prior records related to narcotics. Investigators believe their dependency may have played a role in the heinous nature of their crimes and their involvement in the trafficking network.
The discovery of links to Maharashtra has raised fears that this may just be a fragment of a larger nationwide network. Investigations are ongoing, with law enforcement agencies across states being alerted.
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While the Continental Café is now sealed by the authorities and the accused in custody, the investigation continues to uncover new layers of this chilling operation. As police comb through digital evidence and expand their probe, the nation watches closely, grappling with the horrifying reality that such darkness existed in plain sight.