4 rescued as sex racket busted in central Delhi; 1 arrested

An alleged sex racket operating from a building in Paharganj area of central Delhi was busted, with police rescuing four women and arresting a 29-year-old man, officials said on Friday.

The accused, Shahrukh, a resident of Laxmi Nagar, was arrested following a raid at Saran Building on Qutub Road in Paharganj, police said.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh, police received specific information on Thursday evening about an alleged sex racket being operated from the premises.

As part of the operation, Constable Feru was deployed as a decoy customer to verify the information. After confirming the illegal activity, the police team conducted a raid at the premises and apprehended the accused, the officer said.

During the raid, four women aged between 20 and 34 years were rescued from the building. Police registered a case under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITP Act) in connection with the case.

Police said separate legal action was also initiated against the owner of the rented premises, identified as Harikishan alias Raju Champion (58), a resident of Dwarka. A case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against him.

Evidence linked to the alleged illegal activity was seized during the raid and taken into police possession, they said.

Investigators are probing the accused’s role in operating the racket and are trying to identify other persons connected with the network. The accused’s previous criminal involvement is also being verified, the police added.