Hyderabad police bust prostitution racket, arrest five, rescue six victims

HYDERABAD: The sleuths of Commissioner’s Task Force, West Team Zone, along with local police, have busted an organised prostitution and trafficking racket within the limits of Punjagutta police station. They apprehended two organisers, three sub-organisers, one customer, and rescued six female victims.

The accused individuals were identified as K. Surya Kumari (38), K. Vijaya Sekhar Reddy (49), Arkojit Mukherjee (30), Venugopal Balaji (50), and Kilaru Kirthi Teja (29), all residents of different parts of Hyderabad.

Both K. Surya Kumari and K. Vijaya Sekhar Reddy are habitual organisers of prostitution and immoral trafficking. Surya Kumari, a native of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, has previously been involved in 16 cases registered under the PITA Act.

Additionally, in 2020, the PD Act was invoked against her by Rachakonda Police for engaging in such illegal activities. In the present case, the accused were found to be recruiting women victims from different states, including Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Tripura, and providing them with housing in various lodges or individual houses across the West Zone area.

Shekar Reddy, one of the accused, has created a database of customers through online platforms. Female victims are arranged to meet them at the desired location of the customer, or he books a lodge where the customer can visit. Surya Kumari used various payment methods and logins to transact with the customers, thereby concealing her original identity.

Acting on credible information, a room at Park Hotel under Punjagutta police station limits was raided, and the accused Kirthi Teja was apprehended along with a victim. Subsequently, different locations housing the victims were raided, and the main organizers and sub-organisers as detailed above were arrested. Further investigation is underway.

The police recovered a net cash amount of Rs 89,500, two vehicles, 18 cell phones, five vehicles, two laptops, two tablets, debit/credit cards (45) from various banks, three passbooks, one checkbook, 22 cheques, five SIM cards, 25 Aadhar cards, and seven PAN cards from their possession.

In this regard, a case has been registered against them under Cr.No. 574/2024 U/s 370, 370A IPC & 3, 4, 5 PITA Act of PS Panjagutta. The public is hereby cautioned to be vigilant when renting their properties and to verify the family background of the tenants.

The police have appealed to citizens to inform the police of any information regarding illegal trafficking and prostitution in their area.