On November 6, 2024, at 9:30 p.m., our team received a lead about a minor victim and a Bangladeshi woman who were forced into prostitution in Pune’s oldest and largest red light area, Budhwar Peth (India's third largest red light area).
On the morning of November 7, we met with the Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) of Pune City. We shared our information about the two victims, and the DCP directed us to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in Pune.
Later that day, we shared our case with the AHTU, and they agreed to initiate a raid. We discussed rescue strategies together and prepared to conduct a raid that evening.
At 7:29 p.m., the police and our team raided the Budhwar Peth brothel. We rescued the suspected minor victim. We also found and rescued the Bangladeshi victim and three other women from the brothel. The police arrested a 35-year-old female brothel keeper and three males: the husband of the minor, the husband of another victim, and another male. The police collected evidence and completed their initial report. We then proceeded to the police station with the police, the five victims, and the four accused.
The police refused to file a First Information Report, FIR, and instead wanted to file a Non-Cognizable Report, NCR. This would not hold the accused properly accountable for their crimes and would allow them to go free until the police obtained a warrant from the court for their arrest. This decision led to a heated argument between the police and our team. The police finally agreed to file an FIR at 4 a.m. on November 8, after which the victims were placed in a shelter home.
Later that day, we waited for the victims to arrive at the court. One police team waited at the court while a second police team went to bring the victims to the court. By 6 p.m., the victims had still not arrived. The magistrate was furious with the police and told them to bring the victims the next day.
On November 9, the victims were brought to the court. While they waited for the magistrate to call them, an *advocate approached them and tried to convince the victims to sign a document (vakil patra: a document that would give him the rights to represent them). We stopped him. The advocate then went directly to the magistrate. The magistrate gave him permission to represent the victims.
We accompanied the victims back to the shelter home. We are awaiting the victims medical test results, which will help us determine their ages.
*We are still investigating the identity of the advocate; we suspect he was appointed by an individual who owns multiple brothels in Budhwar Peth.
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