Nagpur: The Social Security Branch (SSB) has exposed an alleged sex trafficking racket operating from a hotel in the Wanadongri area, arresting the hotel manager and rescuing three women from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The hotel owner and his associates are currently on the run, police said.
The arrested accused has been identified as Nikhil Neelkanth Sonawane (27), a resident of Bhim Nagar, Chandur Railway in Amravati district. Police have launched a search for the absconding accused — Yogesh Kailas Thakre (38), his brother Harshal Kailas Thakre (38), and their partner Santosh Ganpat Bisen (32), all residents of Amarnagar, Wanadongri.
According to Crime Branch officials, the Thakre brothers operate Hotel MH-40 in Wanadongri. Sonawane was managing the hotel, while Bisen was reportedly a business partner. Police received specific intelligence that the hotel was being used as a base for prostitution, with women allegedly brought from other states and provided to select customers.
Under the supervision of Police Inspector Dilip Chandan, the Crime Branch deployed a decoy customer to verify the information. The decoy reportedly struck a deal with Sonawane for ₹2,500 in exchange for arranging a woman. As soon as the money was accepted, the police team raided the hotel and took the manager into custody.
During the operation, police rescued three women — two from Ludhiana in Punjab and one from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Investigators said the women had arrived in Nagpur about a week earlier and were being kept at the hotel premises. The accused allegedly charged clients ₹2,500 per service, keeping ₹1,500 and paying ₹1,000 to the women.
Police seized a car, mobile phones, and cash, collectively valued at approximately ₹3.41 lakh, during the raid. Officials suspect the illegal activity had been going on for a considerable period.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA). Further investigation is underway, and efforts are ongoing to trace the absconding accused. The action was carried out under the guidance of DCP Rahul Maknikar by PI Dilip Chandan and his Crime Branch team including Aarti Chavhan, Sheshrao Raut, Kunal Masram and others.
