Dimapur Police during raids in hotels, allegedly operating as brothels, in New Market area here on Monday, busted a sex racket and rescued 17 female victims. Six persons were arrested during the raids. Dimapur additional commissioner of police Relo T Aye said a 40-member team of Dimapur Police, in a planned and coordinated exercise, during the raids in “suspected hotels operating as brothels centres” in New Market area rescued the victims and arrested the six persons.
He said the female victims were later handed over to different agencies for rehabilitation as per the legal procedure. The arrested are – Amit Prasad (18) of No I Bokolia Balijan village under Bokolia Police Station in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, Md Almas Ali (19) of Palhim Sabar Ali Village under Morazar Police Station of Hojai district of Assam, Medozhosa (33) of Tenyiphe-I, Dimapur, Hojrat Ali (22) of Romari Village under Sadar Police Station of Nagaon district in Assam, Ajay Chandra (38) of Phukan Nagar under Sivasagar district in Assam and Saidul Islam (27) of Daupura under Kampur of Nagaon district in Assam.
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In this connection, a criminal case has been registered with the Women Police Station, Dimapur, under relevant sections of IPC and IT(P) Act for further investigation. Aye said the modus operandi of the sex racket involved forced confinement of females in different rooms of the hotels during “business hours”. He said initial inquiry found that the female victims are further subjected to extortion from their daily earnings by a network of pimps and hotel managers. It was also found that the victims were leading a wretched life.
The raids were a part of Dimapur Police initiatives in combating human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The Dimapur Police have issued show cause notices under Section 18 (1) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act to the owners of the hotel buildings why their property should not be attached by the government for prevention of further misuse. In this connection, correspondences are also being processed to the Dimapur Municipal Council for cancellation of trade licences of the hotels.