Flesh trade: 2 aspiring models,agent held

The police had learnt that Agarwal used to ask customers to book a room in a five-star hotel after making them deposit an advance of Rs 5,000 in a bank account. Acting on a tip-off,the police sent a decoy customer and booked a room at a Viman Nagar hotel on Friday. The decoy passed on the name of the hotel and room number to Agarwal. Around 4.30 pm,when Agarwal came to the hotel room with two women,he was nabbed by the police team that had laid a trap at the spot.

“The girls are modelling aspirants and say they have acted in an advertisement of scarves. But as they did not make much money out of it,they started working with Agarwal as he promised to give them more money,” said inspector Barge.

“Agarwal is into this business for the last two years. All three are arrested under sections of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA),” Barge added. An offence in this case was registered at the Airport police station.

Police said high-profile sex trade was on the rise in the city. The police team comprised senior inspector Bhanupratap Barge,police sub inspector Ashwini Jagtap,assistant sub inspector Dattatraya Nikam,constables Kernath Kamble,Shashikant Shinde,Ajit Dhumal,Sandip Holkar,Sohanlal Chutele,Ganesh Jagtap,Deepal Jade,Krishna Machare,Damyanti Jagdale and Maniyar.

Meanwhile,in another case,acting on a tip-off to havaldar Ashok Takalkar,the Social Security cell team raided a brothel in Budhwar Peth and rescued two minor girls on Friday. One of the girls was found to be a Bangladeshi national. Police also arrested brothel keeper Pooja Manbahadur Tamang (37) in connection with this case. The offence was registered at Faraskhana police station.

Police have so far rescued nine minors from sex trade in 2012. As many as 18 minor girls were rescued in 2011,while 28 in 2010.