MARGAO
In two separate raids carried out on Tuesday night, the Colva Police and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Margao, busted prostitution rackets operating at different spa centres in Colva and rescued a total of nine victim girls.
In the first case, the Colva Police, acting on specific information and assisted by a decoy customer and an NGO, raided a spa centre and rescued four victim girls who were allegedly forced into prostitution. The accused, identified as Ishika Chotu and Chandani Chotu, both residents of Colva and natives of Rajasthan, reportedly induced the victims into sexual activities by charging customers between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 for “special” or “happy ending” massages. The duo was allegedly living off the earnings of prostitution.
In a separate operation, the AHTU, Margao, acting on a tip-off, raided another spa at Colva and rescued five victim girls. The accused in this case, identified as Radhika Sharma, a resident of Colva, was also accused of forcing the victims into prostitution and living on the earnings of the illegal activity.
FIRs have been registered in both cases under Sections 143 and 144 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. All three accused — Ishika Chotu, Chandani Chotu, and Radhika Sharma — have been arrested and remanded to five days of police custody.
