Tags:
Journalism of Courage
PUNE, Nov 23: Crime branch sleuths on Saturday busted a prostitution racket operating in Mumbai and Bangalore besides Pune in a random raid at a flat in the plush Kondhwa area.
Three suspected members of the gang 8211; Harish Bhagvandas Somayya 49 of Kondhwa, Khalid Parvez Khan 29 from Malad West and Surjit Singh Puran Singh Tatla from Andheri East have been arrested. Five girls between 19 and 26 years, induced into the flesh trade have also been rescued.
The police said the racketeers, who operated from Silver Spur building in Kondhwa, used cellular phones to get in touch with clients.
They were today produced in the court of a judicial magistrate First Class and remanded in two days8217; police custody. The magistrate directed the police to admit the rescued girls to Sassoon Hospital for a medical check-up.
For the second time this year, the crime branch sleuths have arrested Harish Somayya on immoral trafficking charges. He was arrested in January this year and released on bail a couple of months later.
The team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramrao Pawar raided Somayya8217;s three-bedroom flat on Saturday night to check his activities. The sleuths said the girls were found accompanying their clients during the raid.
The preliminary investigations have revealed that four of the girls were brought to Pune from Mumbai a couple of days ago. One of the girls8217; is from Bangalore.
The police said Harish Somayya would get girls from Mumbai and Bangalore 8220;to entertain businessmen, traders and collegians coming from rich families.quot; He would charge Rs 2,500 for a night with a girl at his flat, they added. Somayya, who mixes with the elite of Pune, often threw parties to attract youngsters, they added.
Khalid and Puran Singh would lure young girls from Mumbai to working as in the trade. These girls would be sent to various cities, the police said.
The racketeers are being interrogated for further details about the modus operandi and the identities of other members.
