Flesh trade racket busted in Thane

The owner of the flat and the woman who was running the alleged prostitution ring were taken into custody.(Representational image)

The Thane police busted a flesh trade racket Friday night and rescued two women. The owner of the flat and the woman who was running the alleged prostitution ring were taken into custody.

The Thane Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) raided a residential complex in Dombivali east Friday night, sources said.

“We had information that flesh trade was going on in a couple of flats in Sri Niwas building in Dombivali (east). After keeping watch for a few days, we decided to send a decoy customer,” said senior inspector Ravindra Daundkar, who heads the AHTC.

The decoy customer helped the team raid the house. “We rescued two girls and arrested Jyotsana Shaha (53). She was the one running the brothel and taking the money,” Daundkar said.

Police said the woman was using the two flats on first floor. “One of the flats, which was registered in her estranged husband’s name, was being used by her as an office. The customer would first go to that flat and pick the woman he wanted. She would then take the money, around Rs 2,500, and then the customer would be sent to the adjacent flat,” Daundkar explained.

The AHTC has arrested Shaha and her accomplice Naresh Bhagat, the owner of the other flat. “We have handed over the investigation to the Dombivali police. However, it is possible that there were more girls hidden away by Shaha. We are trying to find out where they might be,” said a police source privy to investigation.

Meanwhile, Daundkar said Shaha was an educated woman and mother of a grown-up daughter. “During preliminary investigation, she said she got involved in the trade to finance her daughter’s higher education. Shaha’s husband left her 22 years ago, and was declared mentally unstable a few years ago,” he confirmed.

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