Dehradun Police have busted an inter-State prostitution racket and arrested nine persons, including three women, from a hotel, near Dhamawala, Sahaspur area late Thursday night. Two women (aged 19-20 years), natives of West Bengal, were rescued.
Police sources said police had received a call from a local pradhan who had pressured them to release the accused, arguing that the arrest of the accused would leave adverse impact on the hotel industry in the area. However, police did not act on the call and went on to book the accused under relevant laws, said the sources.
A Sahaspur police officer Pramod Shah said that all the accused were booked under sections 3/5/6/7/9 Immoral Trafficking Act and sections 370 and 120b of IPC in the Sahaspur Police Station. He further said that the accused were Kadir Hussain, resident of Dhamawala, Sher Khan, native of Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Mahmood, resident of Dhakrani (Vikasnagar) Surendra, native of Paonta Sahib(Himachal Pradesh), Sonu alias Haider Hussain, native of Delhi and Manoj, resident of Kalyanpur (Vikasnagar). Three women accused are lata, native of Uttarkashi, Mamta and Manjeet, residents of Paonta Sahib. They were sent to Suddhowala jail after being presented in the court.
Vikasnagar circle officer SK Singh said that during raids in the hotel, it was found that the hotel owner was not implementing the police’s instructions to collect identity proofs from the boarders aside from keeping their records in the register book. He further said that a letter seeking permission for sealing the hotel has been sent to Dehradun DM.
One of two women from West Bengal, later rescued by police, had approached Sahaspur Police Station and said a prostitution racket had been running in a hotel in Sahaspur area. She alleged that she along with other women was being forced to indulge in the flesh trade. “Some other victims said they were brought from Delhi and other places with those running the racket luring them with offers of jobs and marriage in Dehradun. Police acted swiftly. Teams consisting of sub-inspectors and other police personnel from Vikasnagar and Sahaspur police stations were formed. They were later directed to raid the hotel on Thursday night,” CO informed.
The police personnel, tasked to raid the hotel, forced open the door of the hotel room late Thursday night in the presence of some hotel staff. Team members arrested the accused as they were found in compromising positions. Police recovered contraceptives from their possession.
Interrogation revealed that lata, Sonu and Manoj had been operating the sex racket in the area. They confessed their crimes, police said. The mobile phones of the accused were seized and numbers are being verified by the team members. Two victims were rescued. In course of interrogation, the accused Sonu revealed that they had brought some women from Delhi through paying the middlemen.