New Delhi: In a major crackdown on organized crime, the Delhi Police has busted a human trafficking and immoral prostitution racket operating in the S.N. Marg area of Central Delhi, rescuing eight girls, including a minor, and seizing cash, foreign currency, drugs, and liquor from the premises.
According to police officials, the operation was carried out late on Wednesday at a property located in Ajmeri Gate, following a specific and sensitive input regarding ongoing trafficking activities.
Acting swiftly, a dedicated team under the supervision of ACP Rinchen Ongmu Bhutia and led by W/SI Kiran Sethi conducted a well-coordinated raid with the support of the Crime Team, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts, and members of an NGO.
During the raid, police found several women and men inside the premises. Upon verification, it was established that the location was being used for organised, immoral trafficking and prostitution activities.
A total of eight women were rescued from the site, including a 17-year-old minor who revealed that she had been trafficked from West Bengal. The victim alleged that she was brought to Delhi by a woman identified as Alia alias Pinki and later handed over to a couple, Kumari and Rahul, who were allegedly running the illegal operation.
The minor further disclosed that two individuals, identified as Gopi Ram Parihar alias Suraj and Luma Kant Pandey alias Motu, were acting as managers, handling financial transactions and facilitating customers.
Police also rescued seven other women, some of whom were reportedly hidden in cramped and concealed compartments within the premises, indicating attempts to evade detection.
During the search operation, police recovered a substantial amount of incriminating material, including cash worth Rs 1.97 lakh, $118, Nepalese currency notes, and other foreign currency. Additionally, 33 grams of ganja, used and unused condoms, gauze cloth pieces suspected to bear semen stains, and transaction records were seized.
Other items recovered from the spot included round tokens of various colours, two knives, medicines, eight diaries, and a large quantity of liquor, comprising 264 bottles and 478 cans of beer.
Two accused persons — Parihar, 36, and Pandey, 41, both residents of Nepal — have been arrested in connection with the case. Meanwhile, key accused Kumari and her husband Rahul are currently absconding, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend them.
Police said multiple FIRs have been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the Excise Act.
Officials stated that the nature and scale of recoveries point to a well-organised interstate trafficking network involving victims from West Bengal, Assam, and Nepal. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the racket and uncover the full extent of the network.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District, Rohit Rajbir Singh, said that efforts are ongoing to rescue more victims and dismantle the broader trafficking syndicate operating in the region.
(IANS)
