Nominated corporator from Shinde faction and a former BJP corporator arrested by Ulwe Police after a lady arrested last week in a prostiturion racket, revealed their involvement. Ulwe Police had arrested a woman agent on June 17 for allegedly forcing two minor sisters into prostitution by luring them with money.
"However, during the course of the investigation, we found that three men, including a nominated corporator from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) in Pen, had allegedly sexually exploited the minor girls. Significantly, a former BJP corporator was found to have acted as a middleman in the case," a police officer from Ulwe polixe station said. Based on these findings, Ulwe Police on Saturday night arrested four persons, including the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) corporator and the former BJP corporator from Pen.
Acting on information that prostitution involving minor girls peing carried out at La Residency Lodge in Sector 19, Ulwe,19, police conducted a raid at the lodge on the evening of June 17. During the raid, officers rescued two minor sisters aged 17 and 14 and arrested Sarika Gaikwad (33), the alleged woman agent accused of pushing the girls into prostitution.
During the detailed interrogation of the prime accused, Gaikwad, police traced the links of the case to Pen city in Raigad district.
The investigation revealed that Kunal Naik, a former BJP corporator from Pen, had allegedly contacted Gaikwad to arrange the minor girls tor sexual services.
The investigation revealed that Upendra Koladkar, a nominated corporator of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), along with two associates, had allegedly sexually assaulted the minor girls. Based on these findings, police arrested four persons from Pen on Saturday night: Kunal Vikas Naik (31), an alleged middleman and former BJP corporator; Upendra Anant Koladkar (32), a nominated corporator of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction); Pramod Kamal Patil (43), a real-estate businessman; and Achyut Gajanan Patil (42), a contractor.
The accused have been booked under Sections 96, 98, 143(3), and 143(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, Sections 16, 17, and 18 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and Sections 79, 81, and 87 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
A court has remanded all four accused to police custody until June 24, Senior Police Inspector Arjun Rajane said.
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