Flesh trade racket busted in Ghatkopar; 2 held and 3, including a minor, rescued

A man and a woman were arrested from Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar (W) by officials of crime branch unit 7 after a flesh trade racket was busted on Thursday. Police also rescued three women, including a minor and sent them to a women's shelter. Meanwhile, the accused duo were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Human Trafficking Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to police officials, they had received a tipoff that a flesh trade racket was being operated in Haji Abdul Qadar Chawl at Ghatkopar (W), wherein a woman had rented a house and was luring young women into prostitution. A non-profit organisation also received information that minors were being forced into flesh trade and acting on this tip-off, police and the organisation decided to initiate action.

Police sent a decoy customer to the woman and set up a meeting in Chirag Nagar in the wee hours of Thursday. At around 12.40 am, the accused woman came with three other women, including a minor, and met the decoy customer. As soon as there was a monetary exchange as discussed between them, a police team nabbed the woman and rescued the three victims.

During the investigation, the arrested woman, Neelam Jadhav, 37, confessed that she had forced these women into flesh trade and had an accomplice, Shirishkumar Hegde, 40, a Bhandup resident. Subsequently, Hegde too was arrested and booked under relevant sections.