Inter-state prostitution racket busted in Arunachal, five govt officials among 21 held

Arunachal Pradesh police have arrested 21 people, including government officers involved in an inter-state prostitution racket, in the past few days and rescued five minors in the age group between 10 and 15 years, a senior police official said here on Wednesday.

The arrested government officers include a deputy superintendent of police and a deputy director of health services, the police officer said.

The minors were being trafficked to the state from Dhemaji in neighbouring Assam by two women (sisters) who run a beauty parlour in Itanagar, Capital Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Rajbir Singh said.

Earlier on may 14, in an ongoing investigation of the Itanagar WPS Case No- 20/24 under Section- 373 IPC R/W Section- 6/8/12 POCSO Act and Section-3/4/5/6 of Immoral Trafficking Act, the Itanagar Police have apprehended six additional individuals. This group includes three individuals implicated as pimps and three others accused of sexual assault.

Also Read: Arunachal: 6 more arrested in Itanagar trafficking case, fifth minor girl rescued

They have also rescued another minor girl from a lodge at Zoo Road, Chimpu following further investigation and search operation. This brings the total number of victims rescued to five and the total arrests to twenty-one. 

The arrested include a husband-wife duo who run the City Hotel at Zoo Road Chimpu, and the manager of the hotel. They were found to have trafficked the rescued minor girls into prostitution. 

A raid at the hotel led to the rescue of another minor girl. The rescued girl, Miss F, is 15 years old and comes from a poor family. She was being raised by the arrested couple and was forced into prostitution.