The crime branch's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) set up a sting operation and conducted a raid at Yogesh Lodging-Boarding in the Chikalthana area on Tuesday night. The operation was initiated based on information received about ongoing prostitution activities at the location.
As a result of the raid, Mirabai and Yogesh Bhume, a married couple residing in Hanuman nagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, were apprehended. A case was subsequently registered against them at the Chikalthana police station. Interestingly, two of the victims involved in this case were identified as residents of Gujarat. The police officials discovered that the victims, aged between 20 and 25 years, were attracting customers by sharing pictures of girls.
A lodge in the Chikalthana area had become a hub for prostitution, causing inconvenience to local businesses and residents. Despite the disturbance, regular people were hesitant to take action due to the support of influential politicians.
However, the AHTU team received information about the situation. To gather evidence, they enlisted an informant who posed as a customer on Tuesday night, May 16, and entered the lodge with a woman. As planned, the informant discreetly alerted the plainclothes police officers stationed nearby. Subsequently, the police conducted a raid on the lodge.
Upon conducting the raid, the police discovered two women from Gujarat, along with other victims, at the location. Upon further questioning, it was revealed that Mirabai and Yogesh Bhume were the individuals running the illicit business. Subsequently, the police detained the couple and confiscated their mobile phones.