The Ashoka Garden Police on Wednesday arrested Nabeel Khan, the fifth accused in the sensational case involving the rape and video-recording of Hindu college students in Bhopal. With his arrest, a total of five accused are now in custody. Only one accused, identified as Abrar, remains absconding.
Nabeel, a native of Bihar, had reportedly fled to Murshidabad, West Bengal, after learning that an FIR had been registered. However, in a deceptive move to evade police tracking, he returned to Bhopal, assuming that law enforcement would search for him only in Bihar and Bengal. Acting on a tip-off, Ashoka Garden Police arrested him in the city. The police have seized his mobile phone and are in the process of confiscating his laptop as part of the investigation.
According to investigators, the crimes were orchestrated by a group led by the gang’s alleged mastermind, Farhan. The room used for the assaults belonged to Nabeel Khan, and it was regularly used by the accused to lure victims under various pretenses. Police say Nabeel and Abrar played key roles in the operation, often inviting the victims to the room on the pretext of group study sessions or social gatherings.
Once the victims arrived, the other accused, including Farhan, Saad, Ali, and Sahil, would already be present. Loud music would be played, and the girls were allegedly offered cigarettes laced with marijuana. Meanwhile, mobile phones placed at strategic locations in the room were already set to video recording mode, capturing the crimes.
Nabeel was presented in court following his arrest. The court has remanded him to police custody until May 5 for further interrogation. Police sources confirm that a team has been dispatched to Bihar to locate and arrest the remaining accused, Abrar, who is considered a crucial player in the case.
Authorities have emphasized the gravity of the crime and assured that no stone will be left unturned in the investigation. The case has sparked widespread outrage, and calls for fast-track prosecution and stringent punishment for the accused are growing across the state.
The police have sent the mastermind Farhan Khan to jail in judicial custody till April 13. After the attack by the lawyers on Monday, the accused was presented in the court of Justice Neelam Mishra through video conferencing.