Sex racket busted in Balapur; 13 caught gambling in Ranjangaon

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

In back-to-back raids on Wednesday, police busted a sex racket at a Balapur hotel and uncovered a gambling den in Ranjangaon Shenpunji, intensifying the crackdown on illegal activities in the city.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Cell raided Hotel Abhimanyu Restaurant & Beer Bar in Balapur, rescuing three women one from West Bengal and two from Maharashtra at 10.30 pm. A decoy customer tipped off the police, leading to the arrest of Rafiqkhan Ajmerkhan (35) and Ajinath Prabhu Lokhande (25), both from Ajintha. The team seized Rs 22,503 in cash and mobiles. A case was registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. Earlier that evening, the Anti-Narcotics Cell raided a tin shed in Ranjangaon where a cash-based card game Sorat Andar-Bahar was underway. Acting on a tip-off, police caught 13 individuals, including operator Sunny Vijay Pawar of Kamalapur Phata. The shed, owned by Anup Pimpale, was being used to run the illegal setup. Police seized Rs 90,490 in cash, cards, and nine mobile phones. Both actions reflect a focused police push to root out organized crime in the region.