Pune, October 11: The City Police on Monday, October 9, rescued a 19-year-old Bangladeshi girl who was brought to India by flight by her “Facebook friend”. The girl was brought to India on pretext of providing treatment for her skin disease, but later forced her into prostitution at a brothel in Pune’s Budhwar Peth area.

IndianExpress reported that a representative of an NGO from Bangladesh had on October 5 reached out to a social organisation based in Pune, conveying information that an individual from their neighbouring country had lured a 19-year-old woman with promises of providing treatment for her skin disease. The Pune NGO’s Shilpa Wankhede sought the assistance of Manpada police on October 6. Sex Racket Busted in Bihar: Bhagalpur Police Bust Prostitution Racket, Six People Including Three Women Arrested.

Acting on a tip-off, cops raided the brothel operating from the “Begum building” in Budhwar Peth on Monday night. Police rescued the 19-year-old Bangladeshi girl, who was forced into sex racket at the brothel. Probe revealed the victim came in contact with Meena alias Seema over “Facebook” a few months before. Sextortion Racket Busted in Bengaluru: Gang Honeytraps Over 50 Men, Extorts Money by Blackmailing With Sex Videos; Three Arrested.

Commenting on the matter, assistant police inspector Aniket Pote said “The sex racketeer pretending to be a friend claimed to know a good doctor in India who can cure the victim’s skin disease. The victim agreed to come with her to India. Accordingly, about two months back, the racketeer brought the victim from Bangladesh to Kolkata by a flight on a tourist visa. Then, from Kolkata they came to Pune by another flight. The racketeer forced her into prostitution at the brothel in Budhwar Peth.”

Police have found the passport and other documents of the Bangladeshi woman and will send her back to her country as per the legal procedure.

Meanwhile, during the same raid, police arrested seven women allegedly hailing from Bangladesh from the brothel and have launched further investigation to ascertain how the accused’s entered India.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 11, 2023 08:54 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).