Mira-Bhayandar: The anti-human trafficking unit of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police busted yet another high-profile prostitution racket in Kashimira on Saturday. While two people, including a woman, have been arrested, six young women were rescued from the clutches of the racketeers by the police team. Notably, the sex racket was being operated by a transgender woman who is yet to be arrested.
The gang members, who operated the racket from Ulhasnagar, used social messaging platforms like WhatsApp to communicate with potential clients by sharing photographs of women working in event management companies, who were apparently lured and pushed into prostitution activities. Acting on a tip-off about the gang's activities, the police team with the help of members of an NGO established contact with the transgender through a decoy customer. After striking a deal, the decoy informed the police team following which a trap was laid near Hotel Fountain on the highway in Kashimira.
The duo –Nandini Vadari, 33, and Rajesh Nagdev alias Vicky, 38 – were taken into custody after they arrived there in a white-coloured Maruti Ertiga car along with six women who were later shifted to a shelter home in Mumbai after completion of formalities. Prima facie investigations revealed that the gang facilitated travel and stay facilities in hotels located as far as Goa, Daman, Gujarat, Pune, Mahabaleshwar, Igatpuri and Karjat.
An offence under section 370 (trafficking) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act has been registered against the accused. The case has been handed over to the Kashimira police station for further investigations.
