Gujarat couple running sex racket in Goa held at Panvel station

An Ahmedabad-based couple allegedly involved in flesh trade in Goa was caught by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Panvel station on Saturday night.

Police inspector of Porvorim police station in Goa Rahul Parab said that for the past few years, the couple — Rishesh Patel, 26, and Pari alias Rukhsar Khan, 25 — made good money by supplying girls from poor families in UP and Bihar to tourists in Goa through their pimp, Jethanand Sevkani alias Sunil, 43. All three of them hail from Ahmedabad.

Acting on a tip-off,  the Porvorim police nabbed Sunil while he was trying to supply a 25-year-old woman to a tourist.

During interrogation, Sunil revealed that the woman had been sent to him by the couple who were staying in a lodge in Panaji. The police then raided several lodges, hotels and guest houses but were unable to trace them.

On Saturday afternoon, the Goa police learnt that the couple had boarded the Ernakulam-Okha express from Margao to go back to Ahmedabad and escape from being arrested. They informed the RPF control room at CST the same evening, which then passed on the message to all RPF offices between Panvel and Sawantwadi stations.

When the train reached Panvel at around 9pm, RPF inspector PN Sansare and his team caught the couple and handed them over to the Goa police. All three accused have been booked under Sections 4, 5 and 7 of the Immoral Traffic Act and remanded in police custody till March 13.

@dayanand_kamath