Prostitution racket smashed

PUNE, Sept 22: The crime branch sleuths yesterday busted a prostitution racket operating from the plush Koregaon Park area with the help ...

PUNE, Sept 22: The crime branch sleuths yesterday busted a prostitution racket operating from the plush Koregaon Park area with the help of mobile telephones.

Four persons, two of them managers of a hotel located near Pune railway station, have been arrested on immoral trafficking charges and four girls have been rescued. The rescued girls have been sent to the Mahila Sevagram.

Asha Ramesh Shah alias Asha Didi 40 of Meeranagari Housing Society in Koregaon Park, her assistant Ashok Suresh Reddy 39 as well as the managers Wilson Augustine Bhakre 28 of Sant Tukaram Nagar and Shrimant Sonappa Kothale 33 were produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class Abhinandan Patangankar on Tuesday evening. The magistrate remanded them to a three-day long police custody.

This is for the second time in three years that Asha Didi8217;s involvement is suspected in a prostitution racket. In July 1995, she was arrested on charges of running a brothel and three girls were rescued. Later, she was acquitted.

A 8220;decoy customer8221; sent by the police had contacted the manager of the hotel located near Pune railwway station while posing himself as a trader from Delhi on Monday. The manager allegedly asked the 8220;decoy customer8221; to return after some time.

A crime branch team laid a trap and arrested them immediately after they arrived at the hotel along with a girl. Later, the police raided Asha Didi8217;s flat and rescued three more girls. The rescued girls hail from Mumbai, Udgir in Marathwada and Chennai, police said.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that Asha Didi had established contacts with the managers of some hotels who would mediate between her and the 8220;clients.8221; Asha Didi allegedly charged amount ranging between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,500 to allow the 8220;customers8221; to spend an hour with a girl. Her 8220;clientele8221; included young traders and businessmen, ACP Munde said.Asha Didi, who hails from Mumbai, has been staying in Pune for seven years. She is suspected to be linked with some persons running prostitution rackets in Mumbai, inspector Kurhade said.

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Yesterday8217;s swoop came after Police Commissioner K K Kashyap received some applications alleging that Asha Didi was running a brothel. The action was carried out by a police team headed by deputy commissioner Ramrao Pawar.