Representative image for arrest.
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Bengaluru: In a span of three days, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has busted two illegal prostitution rackets in Bengaluru, arresting two people and rescuing 11 victims, a police source told DH.
The CCB’s Women Protection Wing carried out the operations on October 9 and 11, according to the source.
On Friday, police arrested a couple—Prakash, 46, and Parijata, 42. They are both residents of Govindaraj Nagar and rescued four victims. The arrest came in their second attempt to catch the couple red-handed.
Based on confirmed leads, the CCB sleuths intercepted a tempo traveller near Govindarajanagar while they were en route to a hotel in Bengaluru outskirts with the rescued women. According to police sources, the suspects used to target high-profile programmes scheduled in luxury hotels and build their customer base.
They were caught by the CCB when they were on a similar mission to a hotel in southeast Bengaluru outskirts. Earlier this month, CCB had made a failed attempt to catch them in a hotel in Pondicherry. Investigations revealed that the suspects had been running the ring for the last two-and-half years.
“We are gathering more information about their links with hotels, which have helped them run the racket. We will initiate action against those hotel authorities as well,” the police source quoted earlier told DH.
In a separate incident, the same team from the CCB rescued seven women from a homestay in Whitefield. However, in this case, the pimps were operating from different states. Police noted that they have launched a manhunt for them.
“There are five kingpins in this case; all were active in Delhi and ran the racket from there. They used to use social media platforms to attract customers,” said the officer.
In both cases, police have filed an FIR under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and relevant sections of BNS.