When Bhubaneswar Police investigators probing the alleged rape of a minor traced an autorickshaw booking that brought her to a local hospital, they knew it was a strong lead. What they didn’t know was that it would expose an inter-state sex racket operating from a posh neighbourhood.
On Saturday, police raided a three-storey building in the city where the racket had allegedly been running for the past three to four years. Four people – including two alleged sex traffickers and the house owner – were arrested, and three victims from different states were rescued.
The case began on October 16 after police received a report of the alleged rape and registered a case of sexual assault under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“As the survivor had no attendant or mobile number, the police tried to ascertain who brought her to the hospital. From CCTV, it came to fore that an auto driver dropped her at the hospital on October 15 afternoon and left,” Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said.
After tracking down the driver, investigators examined his booking history and identified the person who had booked the ride — a woman allegedly running the sex racket.
According to police, the medical report revealed that at least one suspect had “come in contact” with the survivor. The suspect has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The survivor’s statement, recorded at a government hospital, suggested she is from Jharkhand, though her identity is yet to be verified, police said. “Address revealed by her is under verification with the help of Jharkhand Police. We suspect her to be an orphan as she has been consistently saying to go to an ashram,” said Singh, adding that a special team is now probing the case.
