Ludhiana nurses among 3 women rescued from flesh trade at hotel

Nagpur: The city police's crime branch special unit rescued two nurses from Ludhiana and a woman from Gorakhpur trapped in flesh trade being operated from a private hotel in Wanadongri, on the outskirts of Nagpur. Acting on intelligence, police raided a hotel at Wanadongri at 4.50pm on Tuesday under the flagship anti-trafficking mission ‘Operation Shakti'. The action continued until 12.20am on Wednesday. The hotel, located near a dental college on Sangam Road, was allegedly used to lure and exploit women by promising them easy high income for "short assignments".
Senior inspector Dilip Chandan's team, comprising naik constable Sheshrao Raut, constables Sameer Shaikh, Ashwin Mange, Kunal Masram, and others conducted the raid. Investigations revealed that two of the three rescued women hailed from Ludhiana, Punjab, and worked as nurses before being trapped in the flesh trade. The third woman hails from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.Nikhil Sonwane (27), a resident of Amravati, was arrested. Three other suspects — Yogesh Thakre, his brother Harshal, and Santosh Bisen — escaped and remain absconding. Bisen has previous records.Sources said Nikhil is a well-connected interstate agent who summoned the three women and brought clients to the hotel owned by Thakre brothers. The women were trafficked to Nagpur with false promises of better financial opportunities. The suspects posted advertisements on social media to attract clients, said sources. The operation was directed by CP Ravinder Singal, joint CP Navinchandra Reddy, additional CP Vasant Pardeshi and DCP Rahul Maknikar.Police seized material valued at around Rs3.41 lakh, including two mobile phones, Rs2,500 cash, a car, hotel register, and other incriminating documents.The rescued women were examined, and the case was handed over to MIDC police station for further legal action under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and other relevant provisions.In a separate raid, a housewife was rescued after a rented room-turned-sex den was busted at Jogi Nagar Lane in Ajni. Acting on specific information, social security wing (crime branch) team raided a rented premises, and arrested Mamta Thigale (36), who was allegedly luring vulnerable women with promises of quick higher earnings through prostitution. One woman was rescued during the raid.Items seized included a mobile phone, Rs2,000 cash, and condom packets. A case was registered at Ajni police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. The accused and the rescued woman underwent medical examination.