Rajasthan Sisters’ Deaths Shock Village: Allegations of Blackmail, Sexual Assault and Delayed Police Action Emerge

A small village near Jodhpur in Rajasthan is struggling to come to terms with a heartbreaking tragedy after two sisters died by suicide within a span of less than three months.

The deaths of the women, aged 32 and 30, have triggered serious allegations involving sexual assault, blackmail, social pressure and alleged delays in police action, while counterclaims from the accused families have further complicated the case.

The elder sister died on March 20, while the younger woman lost her life on May 15. So far, police have arrested two men on charges including gangrape, and officials say more arrests may follow as investigations continue.

However, the families of the accused insist the allegations are false and claim the women themselves were involved in blackmailing the men.

The two sisters belonged to a village in Nagaur district, around two hours away from the area where they died. Both women were illiterate and had been married on the same day several years ago.

Each of them had two children, while their husbands worked outside their village as migrant labourers to support their families.

Their 22-year-old brother has openly accused the police of negligence and delay.

According to him, he accompanied the younger sister to the police station on April 11 to register an FIR regarding the elder sister’s death. He claims they reached the station early in the morning, but the FIR was registered only late at night.

The brother alleged that police officials repeatedly discouraged them from filing the complaint and even threatened legal action if they continued insisting on registering a case.

According to him, it was only after his younger sister threatened to end her life that the police finally agreed to register the FIR.

The husband of the elder sister, who works as a labourer in a nearby district, said he first realised something was wrong in February this year when their son informed him about a neighbour allegedly blackmailing his wife.

He claimed the accused, identified as Pukhraj Singh, had been threatening to leak intimate videos unless she paid him money.

The husband said his wife remained silent about the matter because she was terrified and ashamed.

On the night of March 20, he allegedly discovered Pukhraj inside their house and confronted him.

According to the husband, he caught and assaulted the man during the confrontation.

Amid the chaos, he claims, his wife became deeply distressed and consumed pesticide kept inside the house.

The family immediately rushed her towards a hospital in Jodhpur, but she died before reaching medical care.

However, the family’s initial complaint to the police reportedly mentioned that the woman had been suffering from depression and did not directly accuse anyone.

The husband later explained that the family was afraid of social stigma and public humiliation, which is why they avoided naming the accused in the beginning.

The postmortem report in the elder sister’s case is still awaited.

It was the younger sister who later came forward publicly with allegations of blackmail and exploitation.

In her complaint, she accused several men from nearby villages of threatening her elder sister for years using intimate videos and extorting large sums of money from her.

On April 11, she filed an FIR naming eight individuals — Mahipal Bhakar, Shivraj Bhakar, Gopal Bhakar, Bijaram, Dinesh, Manoj, Ramaram Chaba and Pukhraj Gwala.

She alleged that the accused had extorted nearly ₹4-5 lakh from her sister over time by threatening to release compromising videos.

The younger woman also alleged that she herself became a victim of exploitation. According to her statement, she used to visit an e-mitra centre run by one of the accused, Mahipal, for government-related services.

She claimed Mahipal promised to help delete her sister’s alleged videos if she paid him money.

She further alleged that during one such meeting, she was drugged and sexually assaulted, and that videos of the incident were later used to blackmail her as well.

Her husband, meanwhile, works as a welder in Gujarat and was often away from home due to work commitments.

Family members say the younger sister became increasingly frustrated as weeks passed without significant police action against the accused.

Feeling helpless and ignored, she climbed an overhead water tank on May 15 and threatened to jump unless the accused were arrested immediately.

For nearly six hours, police officials and locals attempted to convince her to come down safely. According to police, she repeatedly warned that she would jump if anyone tried to approach her.

Station House Officer Lakhram Jhakhar said police were trying to calm her and assure her that the investigation was ongoing. Eventually, officers decided to climb the structure in an attempt to rescue her.

However, according to police, before they could reach her, the woman allegedly consumed pesticide tablets while sitting atop the tank. She was brought down and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Jodhpur Rural Superintendent of Police P D Nitya has denied allegations that police delayed the investigation.

He said two accused — Mahipal and his cousin Gopal — have already been arrested, while other suspects are still being questioned.

Police officials say mobile phones belonging to both the accused and the victims are being examined by cyber experts to determine whether any videos or photographs were actually used for blackmail.

At the same time, the families of the accused have rejected all allegations and presented a different version of events.

Mahipal’s father, Bhanwar Ram, claimed that the younger sister and Mahipal were once in a relationship and alleged that she had been blackmailing his son for years.

According to him, trouble escalated when Mahipal’s marital relationship was about to be formalised with his wife.

He alleged that the woman sent photographs of herself and Mahipal to his wife’s family, revealing their relationship and causing tensions between the families.

He further claimed that she had taken around ₹3 lakh from Mahipal over time to keep the matter private.

Interestingly, police records show that a day before the younger sister filed her FIR, Mahipal himself lodged a complaint against her.

In his complaint, he claimed the two had met through his e-mitra centre and remained in contact through WhatsApp and Instagram.

Mahipal alleged that money transfers between them were consensual and related to personal dealings. He further accused her of threatening to falsely implicate and defame him after he tried to end the relationship.

He also alleged that edited obscene photographs and videos involving him and his family had been uploaded online, and that she had demanded money to stop the content from spreading further.

Police officials say these allegations are also being investigated as part of the broader inquiry.

Meanwhile, the family of another accused, Pukhraj, has also denied any wrongdoing.

His mother, Gogi Devi, described him as innocent and said he could never be involved in crimes such as rape or blackmail.

She admitted he knew the elder sister because they were neighbours, but insisted there was nothing beyond that.

Investigators are also examining another important detail in the case. The elder sister’s husband had claimed that CCTV footage existed showing Pukhraj entering their house on the night of her death.

However, he later told police that the footage had been accidentally deleted and could not be recovered.

The deaths have left the village deeply shaken. A woman who runs a shop near the overhead water tank where the younger sister died described the entire incident as a tragedy not only for the families involved but for the entire community.

Many villagers, however, remain reluctant to speak publicly. Several residents who know both the victims and the accused have chosen to stay silent, fearing social tensions and controversy.

The younger sister’s husband says he now hopes the investigation will uncover the truth and deliver justice. According to him, his wife fought until her final moments because she wanted accountability — and he does not want her death to go in vain.