4 held for running prostitution racket in Lokhandwala flat

Nirmal Mishra and V Narayan

Police plan to send notice to societies asking them to verify tenants’ credentials

The Oshiwara police on Wednesday arrested four women from the Samartha Vaibhav complex in Lokhandwala for allegedly running a prostitution racket under the guise of a Kerala Ayurvedic massage centre. The alleged flesh trade was being run for the past fortnight from the Elite Health Clinic and Water Spa located on the third floor of the commercial complex. The building houses several big names including Barista, Mocha and Sykz Gym.

The four women have been identified as Neelam Anil Singh, 31, Afsana Mohammed, 26, Shabana Hussain Khan, 29, and Shakuntala Hanumant Pujari, 25. Police have also alleged that Singh was the manager of the prostitution racket and acted as the pimp for the other three women.

The four were booked for immoral trafficking under Sections 345 and 7-B of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act of the Indian Penal Code. The arrested were produced before the Andheri Court on Wednesday. While Singh was remanded in judicial custody till September 11, The other three women were granted bail on the payment of Rs5,000 each.

Acting on a tip-off, officials from the Oshiwara police contacted Singh on Wednesday and fixed an appointment for a massage at 9 am. “A policeman was sent to the spa as a decoy customer. When our police team received his signal, they raided the place and arrested the four women,” said Kiran Sonavane, senior inspector with Oshiwara police. “It appears that they catered to a high-profile clientele, charging Rs5,000 for a ‘massage’. We believe that Singh has a database of customers .”

“Society members were shocked when they learnt of the racket being operated from their premises. The management of the building said Singh had approached them to start an Ayurvedic clinic. The spa was functioning illegally without any legal documents or registration,” he said. Police have now decided to send notices to members of all residential complexes in Andheri. The secretaries of societies will be instructed to verify the credentials of tenants.

“We fear that several people are running such illegal joints by not submitting proper documents. It is the duty of the society’s office-bearers to check a tenant’s claims before giving them places for rent,” said Sonavane.