129 nabbed during surprise raid at Ganga Jamuna

Nagpur: A strong posse of around 150 cops rounded up around 89 women and 40 men during a joint raid of Lakadganj police and crime branch on Thursday at red-light locality of Ganga Jamuna. Around eight minor girls too were rescued by the cops.
The action came at a time when the government was conducting survey across the nation at red-light areas for doling out Rs5,000 to female sex workers (FSW) and another Rs2,500 for their children who are studying.Even in Nagpur, the collector office had engaged NGOs to collect names and details of the FSWs of Ganga Jamuna for monetary assistance and dry ration.
In a first, Lakadganj police would be registering five FIRs against around 40 persons rounded up during the same raid. The persons would be booked for soliciting, renting out and sub-letting premises and trafficking women and minors for prostitution. Police are also invoking stringent Protection of children from sexual offences Act, 2012 and also Juvenile Justice Act.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar said the raid was conducted against the perceived illegal activities and malpractices at the red-light area. “It was a planned but suo moto action, based on the information being nurtured. The latest action is a multifaceted one which would include various components including bringing the illegality in the constructions done here for illegal activities,” he said.
The raid was spearheaded by DCP, crime, Gajanan Rajmane and Zonal DCP Lohit Matani with their respective manpower. Matani said that he had been collecting data and information regarding the locality for the last one month following which the action was planned. “Our raid had nothing to do with government survey. The police action was directed towards breaking the trafficking network from here apart from other illegal renting out and sub-letting,” he said. “The owners have rented out to different persons and shifted elsewhere. Rescuing of minors and busting the traffickers’ rackets were more important than anything else,” he said.
Hemlata Lohave, project director of the Indian Red Cross Society, said the police raid was a surprising action as the government is conducting survey on the FSW. “The FSWs were herded together and kept in proximity with each other in the time of pandemic. Many require medicines for HIV which could not be given on time to them,” she said.