Cafes in Jaipur and Tonk under police lens for drug peddling, sexual abuse of minors

JAIPUR: In the wake of outrage over alleged sexual abuse of five minor girls in Beawar's Bijaynagar, police have started checking cafés across the state for suspected criminal activities taking place behind closed doors. What were once seen as quiet hangout spots for young people are now being flagged for far more troubling reasons—ranging from drug peddling and blackmail to sexual abuse of minors.

In Feb, two café owners were arrested for providing space to a group of men who used the premises to abuse five minor girls. Now in Tonk, police since Tuesday have arrested 11 people including two café operators. The nine others were found involved in suspicious activities.
The arrests followed multiple complaints that some cafés in the town were operating without licences and were suspected of harbouring illegal activities. These cafés often charge Rs 150 to Rs 300 per hour and lack oversight of who is using the premises and for what purpose, police said.
"These are not the regular cafés where you go to have coffee with friends," a police officer said. "Many of them are makeshift structures, offering closed cabins to minors without any verification. Nobody knows what happens behind those locked doors. These places are becoming popular among teenagers because hotels require ID checks, but these café operators are happy to rent out space for quick money."
Tonk SP Vikas Sangwan had ordered action after receiving reports suggesting some cafés had turned into hubs for criminal activity, particularly involving minors. The 11 individuals arrested were later released on bond after being presented before the SDM.
In the Bijaynagar case, accused café owner Deepak Choudhary had sought anticipatory bail, but his request was denied by an Ajmer court, which noted that by renting out his café at Rs 200 per hour, he was complicit in the crime. The court also cited his efforts to avoid arrest after the FIR was filed.
In another case last month, police's DST East team in Jaipur arrested a café operator on charges of running a marijuana supply network aimed at college students. The accused, Jitendra Meena from Karauli, was caught with nearly a kilogram of marijuana, which police said he sold in small quantities disguised as tokens for Rs 300 each. Investigations revealed that he sourced the drugs from Dausa and Karauli and used his car to transport them across districts.