The Jalgaon rape case was a major case of human trafficking, rape, murder, and sexual slavery that took place in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India.
Details of the crimes came to light in July 1994. [1] The women, many of them college students, were promised help with university exams in exchange for nude photos which they were later blackmailed with. [2] [3] Some of the men involved would take photos of the women in compromising positions including nude photos taken with hidden cameras. [4] Later the victims would be shown the photos and be told to meet at a local hotel where they would be raped. [4] After posing for the photos and being blackmailed many of the women were forced into prostitution. [2] It was reveled that up to 500 women were victims of which an estimated 100 were raped. [4] It was later revealed that two of the victims were murdered. [5] The first complaint was filed on June 25th 1994 by a medical officer from a local hospital on behalf a sexual assault victim. [6]
Victims were initially hesitant to come forward or later recanted statements made to the police, [7] leading to many of the people involved to be charged with possession of obscene material instead of sexual assault. [6]