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Nagpur: A woman from Uzbekistan was rescued by Social Service Branch (SSB) of the crime branch from a city hotel on Monday, after busting an alleged flesh trade racket. Sachin Sonarkar, a notorious pimp, was also arrested during the raid.
Sonarkar, nabbed on several occasions in the past for involvement in sex trade, is learnt to be involved in the high profile racket involving women from Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore and also foreigners. He is also learnt to be operating under the pseudonym of Karan Gupta. Last year, police had nabbed him from a hotel, where he had organized a gambling party on his birthday.
Police said the Uzbek national had been staying in the city for the last three days. PI Vikram Singh Goud, who led the raid, said the Uzbek national had come on a tourist visa in the country around nine months ago. Police are now verifying whether she or the hotel authorities had informed the Foreigner Registration officer (FRO) at Special Branch about her presence in the city.
Police said the hotel room was booked through a portal service, and the Uzbek national had checked in. She had charged the police decoy around Rs6,000, which included Rs2,000 for Sonarkar, to entertain him. The police were accompanied by social workers including activist Nutan Rewatkar as a witness in the case.
A horde of women cops under API Anupama Jagtap too was present. Police have also seized some cash, mobile phones, and other materials. An offence was registered at Sitabuldi police station following a complaint from SSB of crime branch. The raid was conducted under the supervision of Additional CP, crime, GB Gaikar; DCP, crime, Sambhaji Kadam, and ACP Sanjeev Kamble.
