Nagpur: A suspected prostitution racket operating under the guise of spa and Panchakarma massage services was unearthed in Nagpur after the Crime Branch’s Social Security Department and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) raided a spa centre in Kotwal Nagar on October 12 and rescued three women.
Two persons have been booked in connection with the alleged racket following a raid conducted with the assistance of a decoy customer to verify the information received by the police.
The operation was carried out under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Agrawal and under the guidance of Police Inspector Darshan Patil.
According to the police, the spa centre, named Avira Panchakarma and Spa, was operating from Flat No. 200 in Kanta Palace, Kotwal Nagar, within the jurisdiction of Rana Pratap Nagar police station.
Investigators suspect that the women were lured into the alleged flesh trade with promises of earning substantial amounts of money in a short period. The police are probing the alleged exploitation of the women for financial gain.
The accused have been identified as Yogesh Ashokrao Ingole (35), a resident of Geeta Nagar in the Manewada-Besa area, and Supriya Raju Raikwar (35), a resident of Bhupesh Nagar in Borgoan.
A case has been registered against them under Sections 143(2) and 143(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
The raid was conducted jointly by the Social Security Department and the AHTU. Further investigation has been handed over to Rana Pratap Nagar police.
The police are now investigating how long the alleged illegal activities had been operating at the spa centre and whether other persons were involved in the suspected racket.
