On Saturday night, the Jeevan Bhima Nagar Police received a tip off alleging that the manager of a prominent bar in Indiranagar was forcing women into performing dances.
JB Nagar Inspector Ravi and four other police officers attached to the station rushed to Mango Tree Restorbar located on 80 ft Road in Indiranagar.
“We rescued 32 women from the pub. The women were made to dance topless by the manager of the bar and five other men involved in the racket,” Inspector Ravi told TNM.
Speaking to TNM, a senior police officer on condition of anonymity told TNM that the women were allegedly being forced into sex work by the pub’s management.
“The girls are from West Bengal and other north eastern states. They were under duress and being made to perform obscene acts for customers at the bar,” Inspector Ravi added.
The police arrested six persons including the pub’s manager Sheikh. An FIR was registered under sections 370 (trafficking of persons), 370A (exploitation of a trafficked person), 370(3) (trafficking of more than one person), 109 (abetment) and 294 (obscene acts) of the IPC.
“We suspect that the accused trafficked the women from the north eastern states on the pretext of offering them jobs. Once they come to the city, these alleged employment agents then hand over the girls to the bar owners. Generally, the traffickers make the girls sign agreements before they are recruited. We suspect that there was a sex trade racket being run in the pub. Once we talk to the girls, we will know more. Also, arrangements are being made to track down the families of the women so we can send them back home,” the senior police officer said.
The women are currently being lodged at the State Home for Women and the accused have been remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
An investigating officer told TNM that the son of an influential politician was allegedly attempting to interfere with the investigation.
“This MLA’s son made calls to top police officials and asked them to hold off the raid on Mango Tree. The politician’s son had told the senior officers that the owner of the pub is his friend and that the police officials must not make any arrests in the case. We did not pay any heed to any of this and went ahead with making the arrests,” the source added.