Manali: The local police claim to have busted a sex racket with the arrest of five women, including a pimp, in Manali on Tuesday evening. The arrests were made following a raid on the rented accommodation of the accused, police said.
All the arrested five are non-Himachalis. While the pimp is a resident of Jalandhar, the girls are from Maharashtra, Delhi and Darjeeling.
Manali SHO K D Sharma said a trap was laid to arrest the pimp red-handed and a decoy customer sent. “Four women have been rescued from being pushed into the sex racket. Further investigation is on in the matter,” he said.
Police have bust two sex rackets in Kullu and three in Manali in the last two years. The racket thrives with the onset of tourist season. Mostly, the pimps belong to other states and work on commission basis, said sources. Even foreigners are involved and hotels, guesthouses and private accommodations are used for the purpose, they said.
Kullu superintendent of police Padam Chand said they have increased nakas and patrolling on highways and links roads. “We have busted many sex rackets. This exercise will continue. Many girls have been rescued. We are taking this very seriously,” he said.