Nagpur police bust alleged sex racket at Kotwal Nagar spa, rescue three women; two booked

An alleged prostitution racket run under the cover of spa and panchakarma massage services has been busted in Kotwal Nagar, Nagpur. The Social Security Department and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the crime branch raided a spa centre on October 12 and rescued three women from the premises.

The raid was carried out with the help of a decoy customer to verify information the police had received. A case has been registered against two people in connection with the alleged racket.

The action was led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Agrawal. Police Inspector Darshan Patil guided the operation.

According to the police, the spa was operating under the name "Avira Panchakarma and Spa". It was being run from Flat No. 200 at Kanta Palace in Kotwal Nagar, which falls under the Rana Pratap Nagar police station area.

Investigators suspect that the women were lured into the alleged flesh trade with the promise of earning more money in a short time. Police are examining whether the women were allegedly exploited for financial gain.

The accused have been named as Yogesh Ashokrao Ingole (35) and Supriya Raju Raikwar (35). Ingole lives in Geeta Nagar in the Manewada-Besa area, while Raikwar lives in Bhupesh Nagar in Borgaon.

Both have been booked under Sections 143(2) and 143(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.

The raid was carried out jointly by the Social Security Department and the AHTU. Further investigation has now been handed over to the Rana Pratap Nagar police.

Police are now trying to establish how long the alleged illegal activities had been going on at the spa and whether anyone else was involved in the suspected racket.