On 6th November 2024 at 9:30 pm,  our team got a lead about a minor victim and an older Bangladeshi girl who were forced into prostitution in Pune’s oldest and largest red light area, Budhwar Peth.

On the 7th morning we met with the Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime) Pune City. We shared all the information we had on the two victims. He directed us to the Anti Human Trafficking Unit, AHTU, in Pune. 

Later that day we met with the AHTU and shared the information we had about the case.  The AHTU agreed to initiate the raid.  We continued to discuss rescue strategies with the AHTU. 

On 7th November at 7:29 pm the police and our team raided the brothel.  The victim was rescued. We found the Bangladeshi victim and three other women at the brothel, they were rescued as well.  The police arrested four people from the brothel; a 35 year old female brothel keeper and three males; the husband of the minor, the husband of another victim and a male. The police proceeded to collect evidence from the brothel. After they completed their report, the five victims, four accused, the police and our team proceeded to the police station.  

The police refused to file a First Information Report, FIR,  they wanted to file a Non-Cognizable Report, NCR. This resulted in a heated argument between the police and our team.  The police finally filed an FIR at 4 am on 8th morning after which the victims were placed in a shelter home.

Later that day we waited for the victims to be produced in court.  While one police team waited in court, another police team went to bring the victims to court. By 6 pm the victims had still not been produced and the magistrate was furious with the police and asked them to bring the victims the next day.

On 9th November the victims were brought to court. While they were waiting to be called by the magistrate, an *advocate approached them and tried to get the victims to sign a document (vakil patra; a document that would give him the rights to represent them). We stopped him. The advocate then went directly to the magistrate. The magistrate gave him permission to represent the victims .

We accompanied the victims back to the shelter home.  We are awaiting the minor and suspected minors’ medical tests results.  This will help us determine the age of the victims.

*Though we are still investigating the identity of the advocate, we suspect that the advocate has been appointed by  an individual who owns multiple brothels in Budhwar Peth.