On 7th July, we received intel about women being exploited at a dhaba in Nanded. The investigation team travelled to Nanded to verify the lead.
It took a week to gather intel as we faced a few challenges on the field.
On 14th July, our legal team met the Superintendent of Police, SP, Nanded. We told him about the victims who were being sexually exploited at the dhaba and about Freedom Firm. The SP directed us to the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). We also spoke to an officer at the Crime Branch. After we presented all the information we had to the special police teams, we discussed rescue strategies and started to plan the rescue operation.
On 15th July at 3:30 p.m, the police and our team raided the dhaba. They even raided a room that was attached to the dhaba. The room was functioning as a brothel. Five women were in the room along with three men. The police and our team rescued the five women and the police arrested the three men.
While interviewing the women, we learned that three of them were from different parts of Maharashtra. While one woman claimed that no one coerced her into prostitution and she was there of her own free will, the other three Maharashtrian women shared that they were forced into prostitution (one of them saying her own husband sold her!) The fifth victim was from Assam. After collecting details and the police gathering evidence, the victims, three accused and our team proceeded to the police station.
The police completed filing the First Information Report, FIR, at 10 pm. The FIR was registered under the provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. After this, the victims were taken to a nearby hospital for their medical tests. Around midnight the victims were placed in a government shelter home.
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