The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) raided a lodge in the APMC area on Thursday, November 20, and rescued two women allegedly forced into commercial sex work. The raid was carried out on the orders of Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.
The action followed a tip-off received by Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade about a flesh trade racket operating from Shrinidhi Hotel & Lodging in Sector 19/C, APMC.
Police said lodge manager Mastaram Ramasanehi Kanojiya was showing women to customers and charging Rs 5000. A decoy customer was sent, and after a signal, the team raided the lodge and rescued the women.
Three accused were arrested: Kanojiya, who accepted R4500 from the decoy, waiter Vishal Yadav, and Sonu alias Shahin Husain Mandal, identified as the supplier of women. The lodge owner, Raghu Anna, identified as the main suspect, is absconding and has been declared wanted.
Those arrested were produced in court on Saturday, November 22, and remanded to police custody till November 24. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
