Pune: Hinjawadi police have busted an online escort and prostitution racket being run by three suspects in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad area.
The suspects were using Whatsapp messenger services for communication and OYO hotels and Paying Guest (PG) rooms in Baner area for the stay of girls being forced in this racket, police investigation has revealed.
Hinjawadi police are now questioning the OYO hotel asset owners and managers as well as the PG owners and managers about the stay of the victim girls in their properties.
Hinjawadi police have rescued 13 girls from the prostitution racket. These girls were from Maharashtra and Assam. They have been sent to correction home. Police have identified three suspects involved in this racket. Of them, one has been arrested. He has been identified as Arjun Prem Malla (36), a resident of Prime Residency in Viman Nagar. The other two suspects are yet to be arrested.
Hinjawadi police bust prostitution racket girls OYO hotels Baner
Hinjawadi police have seized one car and one mobile, total worth Rs 4.10 lakh from the possession of Malla. Police Inspector (Crime) Ajay Jogdand has lodged the FIR against the suspects at the Hinjawadi police station.
According to police, the modus operandi of the suspects was to operate completely online. The suspects were operating an online portal which was being advertised through Google. When people used to contact through the website, the suspects used to communicate with them through Whatsapp messenger services.
Photos of girls were being sent to people through Whatsapp. After the girl was selected by the person, the suspects used to demand eight to twenty thousand rupees. After the payment was made, they used to provide the girls at the pre-decided locations.
When Hinjawadi police received a tip-off of this online escort and prostitution racket they laid a trap. A dummy customer was set up and they contacted the suspects. When the suspects started communicating through whatsapp, the police team used technical location data to trace them and nabbed one of the suspects. The action was taken on January 28 at about 9.30 pm.
Police Inspector Balkrishna Sawant, Inspector Jogdand, Assistant Inspector Sagar Kale, Police Sub-Inspector Samadham Kadam, Mudal, Police Personnel Rekha Dhotre, Poonam Alhat, Supriya Sanap, Bhagyashree Jamdade, Sonali Dhone, Tejashree Mhaishale, Kiran Pawar, Nitin Parale, Vijay Ghadge, Aakash Pandhare, Ravi Pawar, Sagar Jadhav, Om Kamble, Dattatray Shinde participated in the raid conducted against the suspects.