Mumbai:
At first glance the premises appeared to be a model-coordinating agency, one of many flourishing in Versova. However, on Monday the special squad of Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region) Vishwas Nangre-Patil arrested two pimps and rescued a model and another woman from a sex racket flourishing at a flat in New MHADA Colony, Versova.
According to officers of the special squad, they had raided the accommodation after receiving information that a prostitution racket was being run from there.
Following the tip-off, the cops made decoy customers call the pimp, identified as Meena Mane, and set up a trap to bust the sex racket.
Negotiation
The pimp told the fake clients that they would have to pay Rs 80,000 for the services. After negotiations, they finally settled on Rs 60,000. The pimp asked the 'customers' to come to the house. There they were sent to the 'VIP room' and after a while the model made an appearance.
After getting a cue from the decoys, police officers raided the place and arrested the pimps.
The cops found that the pimp was paying Rs 26,000 as monthly rent for the premises. They would strike a deal with customers over the phone and later invite them to the flat.
"The pimps had offered us a deal for a model," said police inspector Gyaneshwar Ganware, from the special squad.
Ganware also said that the model rescued has worked in a few commercials and video albums.
Police sources said that there were many MHADA flats in the area where such rackets flourished.
However, they cannot raid these places, as the pimps make sure they rent the flats one at a time. They then allot a room for prostitution where the model walks in, making it appear as if she is staying there. "We need concrete evidence that a prostitution racket is going on at the house before we enter the premises. We cannot just raid the place on suspicion," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.