A major prostitution racket operating in Raipur was uncovered by the police, leading to the arrest of eleven individuals, including brokers, hotel operators, and clients. The racket was reportedly being run from hotels in the Telibandha and Saraswati Nagar areas, with girls being brought in from other states and abroad. On the night of February 5-6, a reckless driving incident involving a car (CG/10/FA/5046) on VIP Main Road in Telibandha led to the death of one Arun Kumar Vishwakarma, while three others were injured. Police had registered Crime No. 83/25 under sections 281, 125(A), 110, 3(5) of BNS. During the investigation, the police discovered the involvement of an Uzbek woman and a lawyer, Bhavesh Acharya, in prostitution activities. Subsequent probe revealed a well-organized international sex racket. Acharya confessed to contacting broker Jugal Kumar to arrange for the Uzbek girl. Kumar reportedly brought the girl to Raipur from Mumbai and charged Rs 27,000 for arrangement.

 

Under the direction of senior police officials, a joint team from the Telibandha police station and the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit launched a comprehensive investigation, leading to the following developments: Arrests Made: Ravi Thackeray (55), Raipur, Jagendra Uke alias Mohan (29), Raipur and Brijesh Saha, Mohammad Sajid, Dinesh Lilwani, Sheikh Imran, Amit Soni, Ramendra Pathak, Sheikh Noorul Haq, and Durgesh Panagar. Key Accused: The mastermind, Jugal Kumar, who had fled to West Bengal, was arrested from 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Cases No 89/25 and 22/25 under sections 4, 5, 7 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, was registered at Telibandha police station and at Saraswati Nagar Police Station for further activities orchestrated by Kumar, Thackeray, and Uke. The accused used the Locanto app to share photos and rates of women with clients. Once a deal was finalised and payments made, the women were sent to customers.

 

The racket operated extensively in Chhattisgarh, with connections to other states and Mumbai-based entertainment agencies. The police are intensifying their investigation to identify and arrest remaining associates. The arrested individuals have been remanded to judicial custody, with further remand being sought for certain suspects. Police have emphasised their commitment to uprooting such illegal activities and ensuring justice for the victims.