Latest news with #ImmoralTraffic(Prevention)Act
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Prostitution racket busted in Saoner, minor among 4 rescued
Nagpur: The Saoner police rescued four women, including a minor, from a local hotel and arrested four persons after busting a prostitution racket. Acting on a tip-off, police raided a hotel on Old Pandhurna Road in Saoner late Saturday night. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The main accused, identified as Suraj Pilaji Milmile, 28, the hotel owner and resident of Satnur, Sausar tehsil, Pandhurna, Madhya Pradesh, was arrested along with Amit Kothiram Awari (21), Shrey Dilip Junonkar (20), and Shakeel Sharif Sheikh (28), all residents of different areas in Sausar, Pandhurna. A juvenile in conflict with the law was also detained. Upon inspection of the hotel rooms, police found three adult women and one underage girl, all reportedly victims of sex trafficking. Authorities also discovered that the hotel's register contained no records of their stay. According to police, the accused trapped women and girls into entering prostitution. Milmile allegedly facilitated the operations by providing rooms without verifying the age of the minor and ignoring mandatory documentation, said police. A case was registered at Saoner police station under multiple sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, including Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, as well as relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The rescued victims have been sent to a govt shelter home. Investigation is underway to uncover any larger network. Nagpur: The Saoner police rescued four women, including a minor, from a local hotel and arrested four persons after busting a prostitution racket. Acting on a tip-off, police raided a hotel on Old Pandhurna Road in Saoner late Saturday night. The main accused, identified as Suraj Pilaji Milmile, 28, the hotel owner and resident of Satnur, Sausar tehsil, Pandhurna, Madhya Pradesh, was arrested along with Amit Kothiram Awari (21), Shrey Dilip Junonkar (20), and Shakeel Sharif Sheikh (28), all residents of different areas in Sausar, Pandhurna. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A juvenile in conflict with the law was also detained. Upon inspection of the hotel rooms, police found three adult women and one underage girl, all reportedly victims of sex trafficking. Authorities also discovered that the hotel's register contained no records of their stay. According to police, the accused trapped women and girls into entering prostitution. Milmile allegedly facilitated the operations by providing rooms without verifying the age of the minor and ignoring mandatory documentation, said police. A case was registered at Saoner police station under multiple sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, including Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, as well as relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The rescued victims have been sent to a govt shelter home. Investigation is underway to uncover any larger network.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
3 acquitted in POCSO case after 8-year trial in Thane
Representative image THANE: The Thane court acquitted three persons in a case of kidnapping, rape, and human trafficking of a 16-year-old girl. Special Judge D.S. Deshmukh delivered the judgment, noting that the acquittal came primarily due to the victim turning hostile during trial proceedings and a complete lack of corroborative evidence to support the prosecution's case. The three accused, including two present in court and one absconding, faced multiple charges under the Indian Penal Code, POCSO Act, and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act following an FIR registered at Wagle Estate Police Station on August 15, 2015. According to the initial complaint filed by the alleged victim's father, the prime accused (currently absconding) allegedly enticed the then-minor girl in August 2015, sexually assaulted her, and later left her with a female accused who allegedly forced her into prostitution involving the third accused. However, the prosecution's case collapsed during the trial when significant discrepancies emerged. Judge Deshmukh noted a crucial inconsistency regarding the victim's age, stating: "… the victim's testimony directly contradicted the prosecution's allegations." The court observed that her testimony indicated she voluntarily went with the absconding accused and married him, even bearing his child. She denied being forced into prostitution by the female accused and rejected claims that the third accused paid for or forced physical relations with her. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The victim's father also failed to support the prosecution's core allegations, the judge noted. "From the evidence of above witnesses, the star witness victim girl not stated anything against the accused. Similarly, her father not stated anything against the accused. There is no corroborative evidence brought by the prosecution on record to hold the accused guilty," Judge Deshmukh concluded, leading to the acquittal of all three. The court's final ruling stated: "As the prosecution has not brought on record any supporting evidence against the accused, they are entitled to acquittal."
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Rishikesh murder: No VIP link, prime accusedsought favours which victim resisted, says SIT
Dehradun: Following the life imprisonment verdict for all three accused in the sensational Rishikesh resort receptionist murder case, questions have resurfaced over the alleged involvement of a 'VIP'— a claim that sparked widespread outrage and political debate when the case first broke in 2022. However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probed the case, reiterated that it found no evidence of any VIP link. P Renuka Devi, the then DIG (law & order) in Uttarakhand police, who led the SIT and is now posted as DIG, CBI, said: "Our investigation did not reveal any VIP connection. There was no evidence suggesting a high-profile visitor was expected at the resort or that the victim was being pushed to entertain one. However, the probe uncovered several instances indicating that the prime accused, Pulkit Arya — son of a former BJP leader and resort owner — who is now convicted, was seeking 'favours' from the 19-year-old receptionist, which she consistently refused. Based on this, we later added the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act to the charges." Citing more findings of the SIT probe, she said the other staffers, including some witnesses, also denied the 'VIP' involvement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo "It was found that there were two VIP suites in the resort which were not booked during the time of the crime. Staff members of the resort confirmed the same when questioned," she added. In Dec 2022, during the assembly session, govt had informed the House that "No VIP was to visit or visited the resort." The information was shared by then state minister of parliamentary affairs, Premchand Aggarwal, in reply to a question by opposition's Chakrata MLA and former Congress state president Pritam Singh.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- India Gazette
"Verdict sends a message that crime never pays off": Uttarakhand CM lauds conviction in Ankita Bhandari murder case
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 31 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday welcomed the conviction of the three accused in the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case, stating that the verdict sends a strong message that 'crime never pays off.' He reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that no criminal is spared, regardless of status or influence. 'Today's verdict sends a message that crime never pays off... No matter who a criminal is in Uttarakhand, the law will not spare him/her,' Dhami said here. Talking about the investigation into the murder case, the Chief Minister said that from day one, the state government resolved to bring justice to the victim and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a female IPS officer. 'The day we got information about this case, we resolved to bring justice to her (the victim)... The state government immediately directed the investigative agencies to arrest the accused, and so they were arrested. An SIT headed by a female IPS officer was formed, and an investigation was conducted in detail. The case was in court, and due to the investigation, the accused could not get bail. In about 3 years, they got life imprisonment,' he added. On Friday, an Additional District and Sessions Judge Court in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand found Pulkit Arya and his associates, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The court pronounced the verdict after a thorough trial, which upheld the charges against the trio, who were found guilty of the brutal murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari. Bhandari, a resident of Pauri district, was employed at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh. It was alleged that the resort owner, Pulkit Arya, along with Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, murdered her by pushing her into a nearby barrage. Earlier, while speaking to ANI, the victim's mother, Soni Devi, broke down in grief and urged the people of Uttarakhand to continue supporting the family and demanding capital punishment for the convicts. 'May the criminals be sentenced to death...I appeal to the public of Uttarakhand to keep on supporting us and come to the Kotdwar court to boost our morale,' she said. The body of Ankita Bhandari was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24. She was reported missing for at least six days before the officials found her body. An SIT headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police P Renuka Devi was initially probing the case. The first hearing of the case started on January 30, 2023, in the ADJ Court in Kotdwar. Following the SIT's investigation, a 500-page chargesheet was submitted to the court. Charges were then formally framed against the three accused. In the hearing that lasted for about two years and eight months, 47 witnesses, including the investigator, were examined in the court on behalf of the prosecution. However, the SIT had made 97 witnesses in this case, out of which only 47 important witnesses were produced in the court. (ANI)
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ankita Bhandari murder case: Life term for son of ex-BJP leader, 2 others
A court in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district Friday sentenced Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two others to life imprisonment for the 2022 murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari. She was killed while working as a receptionist at a resort run by Pulkit. His employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were also handed life terms. After the sentencing by the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ankita's father Virendra Bhandari told The Indian Express that the family was hoping that the accused would be handed the death sentence. 'The accused will be in jail, but what about those people who are outside? We had raised the issue of a VIP, but his name has not come out yet… We had sought the transfer of the case to the CBI, and even filed an application that other suspects be probed, but it was disposed of,' he said. Pulkit was sentenced under IPC section 302 (murder) to rigorous life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000; under section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) to five years and a fine of Rs 10,000; under section 354A (sexual harassment) for two years and a fine of Rs 10,000; and under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act for five years and a fine of Rs 2,000. Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were sentenced under IPC section 302 to rigorous life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000, as well as under IPC section 201 and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. After the court verdict, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to social media and called Ankita a 'daughter and sister of the mountains'. 'We are extremely saddened by the incident, following which we had taken a resolution to provide her justice. Soon, we directed the police to arrest the accused, and an SIT under a female IPS was constituted. Because of this, the accused were not provided bail. They (the accused) have been proven guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. We were also in touch with the family members, ensuring justice to Ankita Bhandari,' he said. Rajya Sabha MP and BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt said the verdict has brought satisfaction to the people of the state. The Congress, however, staged a protest, demanding more severe punishment and an investigation into the alleged 'VIP link' in the case. Senior Congress leader and spokesperson Suryakant Dhasmana said, 'There has been ongoing talk of a VIP being involved in the background of this gruesome case, something Ankita herself hinted at in chats with her friend. Yet, the investigating police team has not managed to identify or reach this VIP — a serious shortcoming in the investigation.' Ankita's body was recovered from a canal in Rishikesh on September 24, 2022. She was reported missing for at least six days before her body was found. According to the prosecution, Ankita was last seen in CCTV footage from the barrage at Pashulok, riding pillion behind Pulkit on a scooter. The other accused, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were following them on a motorcycle. In the absence of a direct eyewitness to the crime, the court cited the 'last seen theory' in the case. 'It is settled law that to sustain a conviction on circumstantial evidence, the chain of circumstances has to be so complete that the finger of accusation unerringly points towards the guilt of the accused and rules out innocence… It is the quality of evidence and not the number that matters. A criminal trial is not a race in which the winner is determined with reference to the length run by the prosecution or the defence. It is also not a numbers game where the number of circumstances would determine guilt or otherwise,' the court said. Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read More
