Pune: Pune Police have busted an alleged prostitution racket running under the cover of a spa centre in the Bund Garden area. The action was taken by the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) on Thursday evening. Two women were rescued during the raid, and the spa manager was arrested on the spot.
The accused has been identified as Preeti Rishikesh Nair, a 21-year-old resident of Ektanagar in Gokhalenagar. Police said she was managing the spa and was allegedly involved in running the illegal activities from the premises.
According to officials, the raid was conducted at Kinnari Salon and Spa, located in the Siddharth Court building on Dhole Patil Road. The police received a tip-off about suspected illegal activities taking place at the spa. Based on this information, the AHTC team first sent a decoy customer to the location to verify the claims.
After the information was confirmed, the police team carried out a raid at around 4:30 pm. During the operation, officers found that the spa was allegedly being used as a front for prostitution. Two young women were found at the premises and were rescued by the police.
Senior Police Inspector Chhagan Kapse from the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell said that the accused was caught red-handed while operating the racket. He added that the women were being exploited under the pretext of massage services. He confirmed that both women have now been rescued safely.
A case has been registered at Koregaon Park Police Station against the accused. Police said further investigation is underway to find out if more people are involved in the racket and to check if similar activities were being carried out elsewhere.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of senior officers, including Additional Commissioner of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, Deputy Commissioner of Police Nikhil Pingale, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Shankar Khatke. The raid was led by Inspector Chhagan Kapse along with his team, including Police Constable Ishwar Andhale and other staff.
