Cops raid sex den in ex-MLC's flat

Five aspiring models were rescued and two pimps one of them a woman were arrested for allegedly running a prostitution racket in Andheri (West) around 11.30pm on Monday. The apartment, where the racket was being run, is owned by an ex-legislator of the upper house.

The identity of the former member of legislative council or MLC was not immediately revealed.

The police said they carried out a raid based on information that a sex racket was going on in a flat on the third floor of New Mhada Building near Lokhandwala circle. The flat had been rented out, said the police.

Senior inspector of Versova police station, H Parmale, said they had sent a decoy customer to the building. “He got in touch with the pimps and alerted us after striking a deal,” said Parmale.

The five girls, all in their twenties, have been sent to a rehabilitation home. The pimps Kiran Thakur, 35, and Satish Shah, 28 have been booked under sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act. The Sewri court remanded them in police custody.

Additional commissioner of police (western region), Vishwas Nangre-Patil, confirmed that the flat belongs to a former elected representative. “We’re getting more information about when the flat had been rented out and whether any norms had been flouted,” said Nangre-Patil.

The police are verifying as to how long the sex trade was going on at the place, and if there are other girls in their custody.

The raid was a joint operation by the social service branch of the city police along with officials of the local police station.