On 17th February 2026 we received intel about a victim being sexually exploited at a lodge in Shevgaon, Maharashtra. On 18th February our team travelled to Shevgaon to verify the lead. After the lead was verified, the team set out to meet the Superintendent of Police, SP, Ahilyanagar, to seek his assistance to get the Anti Human trafficking Unit, AHTU, to initiate the rescue operation.
On the 19th February, we waited the entire day at the SP’s office to meet him. We finally were able to meet him late evening and discussed the possibility of a rescue operation on the 20th February. The next day the police and our team set out to rescue the victim. We found the lodge closed. We continued surveilling the lodge but the lodge continued to be shut tight for a few days.
On 1st March we received intel that the victim was spotted again in the lodge. The next day we verified the information we received, the victim was in the lodge.
On 3rd March we made an appointment to meet the Superintendent of Police, SP. We met him later in the day and discussed the urgency of conducting the rescue before the victim was moved to another location. After receiving the necessary permissions the next day the rescue team and the AHTU started to plan rescue strategies.
On 5th March at 4:00 pm the police and our team raided the lodge. The lodge had four compact rooms. Each room had a bed, table, fan and an attached toilet that was filthy. We found three victims in three of the rooms and we rescued them. The police arrested the hotel manager and another person who was with him. Three individuals tried to escape from the first floor. The police nabbed one of them, a customer.
The social workers gathered details from the victims and the police collected incriminating evidence from the lodge. Close to midnight our social workers accompanied the three victims for their medical tests. As soon as their check up and tests were completed, we accompanied them back to the police station. At 1:35 am the First Information Report was registered under section 18 of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act ITPA
Early in the morning the team along with the police and AHTU escorted the victims to a temporary shelter for women.
The accused were taken to court. The magistrate ordered them to continue to remain in police custody. The victims were also produced in court and the magistrate ordered that their Section 164 statements be recorded before a female judge.
After the statements were recorded the victims were taken back to the temporary shelter for women where they will be staying until the next court hearing
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