MARGAO/PANAJI
The Margao police late Friday evening busted a prostitution racket right in the heart of the town with a raid on the Goa Lord’s Bar and Restaurant, from where they rescued a women and arrested the owner and a customer.
The police have decided to move the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Margao, for closure of the restaurant.
While the victim woman has been lodged at the Women’s Protective Home, the Margao police have arrested the owner Justina Rodrigues and the customer, Mohammed Rupin Ali, a native of
Assam, but working in a hotel in the city.
Police Inspector Kapil Nayak told the media on Saturday that the police had been maintaining a vigil on Goa Lord’s restaurant for a week following information that prostitution was allegedly taking place there.
“Our investigation has revealed that the accused person was allegedly found to be running a brothel by making two cubicles inside the bar. He had procured/induced the 22-year old victim girl, a native of Hubli-Karnataka, knowing well that she might have been trafficked.” He said the customer was found in a compromising position with the victim girl during the raid.
Nayak said the police have registered an FIR against the owner of the bar as well as the customer under the provisions of the IPC and Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act.
He said the police have launched a drive against prostitution in the city, adding that these kind of activities will not be tolerated in the city.
Meanwhile the Panaji police too in a raid on Friday night busted a prostitution racket near Hotel Ruchi at Patto and rescued a girl and arrested a native of West Bengal, who was caught-red handed delivering the victim to a decoy customer.
The police team is on the lookout for another accused, who allegedly procured the girl from another state for supplying to customers.
Accused Manojit Pattanayak (45), resident of Porvorim and native of Medinapur, West Bengal, was caught by the police while delivering the girl for the purpose of prostitution. While the victim girl has been lodged at the Protective Home in Merces, police is attempting to zero down on the other accused, one named Chaddha, who supplied the girl to Pattanayak.
Accused Pattanayak has been remanded to police custody. Both the accused have been booked under the relevant sections of Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act.
