Special Correspondent
Pune: In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old Bangladeshi girl was illegally brought to India under the pretext of a job at a parlor, only to be forced into prostitution. When she resisted, she was confined to a room, beaten with a belt and hands, and threatened with disappearance. The case came to light through the efforts of a social organization in Pune, leading to the arrest of two suspects by the police.
The accused, identified as Abhishek Prakash Santhebenur (22, resident of Karnataka), Tamanna Mukhtar Sheikh (resident of Pune), and Rakiib Khan, have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, POCSO Act, PITA Act, and Passport Act. Abhishek and Tamanna have been arrested. The Sahakarnagar Police conducted a search operation from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday (July 11) and successfully rescued the victim.
The victim was known to Tamanna, who facilitated her illegal entry into India and guided her on crossing the border unlawfully. She was promised a job at a parlor. Initially, the girl was brought to Bengaluru, where Rakiib Khan, an acquaintance of Tamanna, exploited her for prostitution for his financial gain. When she refused, a dispute arose, and she was sent to Pune. In Pune, Abhishek, a friend of Tamanna who works at a city hotel, coerced her into prostitution in the Budhwar Peth area for his own profit. When she resisted, Tamanna, with Abhishek’s help, confined her to a room in the Sahakarnagar police jurisdiction, where Abhishek beat her with a belt and hands and threatened to make her “disappear.”
The victim managed to contact the Bangladesh police via mobile phone and informed them of her ordeal. The Bangladesh police relayed the information to a local social organization, which then contacted a Pune-based social organization. This group informed the Sahakarnagar Police, who, under the leadership of Inspector (Crime) Surekha Chavan, launched a search operation and rescued the girl. The police have arrested two of the accused, and further investigation is underway, according to Chavan.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police Rajesh Banasode, Deputy Commissioner Milind Mohite, Assistant Commissioner Rahul Aware, Senior Inspector Rahul Gaud, and Inspector (Crime) Surekha Chavan. The team included Assistant Inspector Sagar Patil, Sub-Inspector Kalpana Kale, and constables Firoz Sheikh, Saddam Hussein Fakir, and Meera Kindre.
