Thane: Couple held for running sex racket, 3 rescued

In the Kashimira area of Thane city, Maharashtra, the police have apprehended a couple and successfully rescued three women who were part of a sex trafficking operation, as reported by an official on Friday. Acting on a tip-off, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of the MBVV police conducted a raid in the Hatkesh locality of Kashimira on Wednesday afternoon. During the operation, a couple and three women were apprehended, according to Senior Inspector Sameer Ahirrao.

The police had received information that the couple allegedly ran a sex racket under the pretext of organising dance shows. They would send photographs of women to customers on WhatsApp, he said. The accused allegedly took the women outside the state to Goa and Bengaluru in Karnataka, and also to Lonavala, Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayander, the official said.

The police arrested Ayan alias Mohammad Shahrukh Khan and his wife Jyoti alias Rehan Sultana and rescued three women, he said. An offence under section 370 (human trafficking) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic Prevention (PITA) has been registered against the duo.