The Commissionerate Police on Monday night arrested 12 people including kingpin Sunil Meher for running a sex racket in city hotels. They were forwarded to the court on Tuesday, the police sources said. On a tip-off, the quick action team of the Commissionerate Police conducted a raid in two hotels situated at Ashok Nagar and Cuttack Road and nabbed 12 youths along with nine women.
Sources said the kingpin, one Meher of Subarnapur district, was running the sex business in the city for a long time by luring both young women and customers from the city. Meher had earlier been arrested thrice for running flesh trade in the city, police sources said. later, he had moved to Kolkata to continue the business but returned to Odisha fearing action by the Kolkata police.