In a major crackdown on human trafficking and illegal activities, Social Security Branch (SSB) on Friday rescued four young women from a sex racket being operated out of Hotel Happy Spring, located on the second floor of Acharj Tower in the Chhaoni area on Katol Road. The raid was conducted between 3:20 pm and 11:40 pm, following credible intelligence.
During the action, police apprehended two accused identified as Chetan Vijay Chakole (24), a resident of Gangabag, Sharada Chowk under Pardi Police Station limits in Nagpur, and Yugant Dinesh Durge (19), a resident of Visapur in Chandrapur district. Both were found to be staying in Room No. 202 of the said hotel and were allegedly involved in luring women into prostitution under the pretext of financial gain.
Police have also identified two more individuals, Rahul alias Ankush Dilip Ghatole and another man named Deepak, who are currently absconding. The duo is accused of running the racket by offering money to vulnerable women, arranging rooms for them, and forcing them into prostitution for personal profit.
The police team also discovered that the hotel was supplying hookah to customers without authorization. As a result, a case has been registered under Section 143(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 4, 5, and 7 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, Sections 4(1), 5(1), and 21 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, along with relevant sections of the Maharashtra Amendment Act dated October 4, 2018.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Kumar Singhal, Joint Commissioner Nisar Tamboli, Additional Commissioner (Crime) Sanjay Patil, Deputy Commissioner (Crime) Rahul Makanikar, and Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Abhijeet Patil. The team was led by Police Inspector Kavita Isarkar and comprised personnel Sachin Badiye, Prakash Mathankar, Laxman Chaure, Ajay Paunikar, Sheshrao Raut, Nitin Vasane, Aarti Chavan, and official driver Poonam Shende.
Further investigation is ongoing to trace and apprehend the remaining accused and to dismantle the network involved in this trafficking racket.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com