Preliminary investigation revealed revealed that the women were from Kolkata and Mumbai, and the racket had been active for the past 10 days.
Published Jan 21, 2024 | 12:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 21, 2024 | 12:18 PM
Arrest (Representational image/Creative Commons)
The Central Zone Task Force of the Hyderabad police said on Saturday, 20 January, that they had busted a sex racket and arrested an influential hotelier, besides rescuing 16 women from the flesh trade from a hotel in Hyderabad.
The women from other states were brought to Hyderabad with offers of jobs. The rescued women were shifted to safe homes in the state.
The police identified one of the arrested accused as S Akhilesh alias Akhilesh Phailwan, the proprietor of Fortune Hotel in Ramnagar. The other arrested person was the hotel’s manager-cum-receptionist Ragupathi. The cops said four customers and two pimps were also arrested.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh’s social media profile shows him in the company of senior politicians, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The police have booked Akhilesh and Ragupathi under Sections 370 (trafficking of persons) and 370A (exploitation of trafficked persons) of the Indian Penal Code.
The police also confiscated 22 mobile phones from the accused persons. Investigators said the racket charged customers ₹3,000-5,000 per hour.
“On Friday, 19 January, there were suspicious movements of women in the Ramnagar locality. The Central Zone Task Force received a tip-off, and they along with the Abids police raided the Fortune Hotel,” Abids Station House Officer T Narasimha Raju told South First.
Investigations revealed that the women were from Kolkata and Mumbai, and that the racket had been active for the past 10 days.
The prime accused, Akhilesh, has been known for his penchant for gold ornaments.
Besides posing with politicians and posting photographs on social media, he also collaborated with Tollywood singers to organise folk-song performances during festivals.
He was also into philanthropy, running the Akhil Orphan Lifeline with the tagline “We Care For You”, said the police.
