Mumbai: The Mumbai police have uncovered an illegal prostitution racket being run under the guise of a bar and restaurant at Pramila Bar and Restaurant located on RC Marg, Chembur. The RCF police, acting on a tip-off, raided the premises and apprehended the bar manager, bar owner, and a customer during the operation.

According to the complaint filed by Police Constable Amol Khatke,36, attached to the Crime Detection Unit of the RCF police station, the raid was carried out on the evening of October 4 at 6:45 PM by a joint team from RCF and Tilak Nagar police stations.

Police Inspector Mausami Patil of RCF police station had received credible information that prostitution activities were being conducted at the bar. Inspector Manisha Kulkarni from Tilak Nagar Police Station, designated as a Special Police Officer under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) and Government Resolution dated March 14, 2006, participated in the joint operation.

To confirm the illegal activities, police deployed a decoy customer, a 32-year-old man residing near Atop Hill Church, Kokari Agar, Mumbai, to the bar. Upon approaching bar manager Nishikant Sadanand Sahu,43, a resident of Chembur Camp, the decoy was informed that the charge for sexual services was Rs 1,000.

The decoy agreed and was directed to the first floor of the establishment where he ordered a drink. When a female bartender approached and engaged in inappropriate conduct, the police team raided the premises immediately. The woman, aged 41 and a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, Mankhurd, was caught accepting Rs1,000 from the decoy. The money was seized as evidence.

In total, eight adult women were found working at the bar, allegedly involved in prostitution. These women hailed from various localities, including Chembur, Tilak Nagar, Mankhurd and Ulhasnagar in Thane.

During interrogation, the women revealed that their involvement was facilitated through acquaintances engaged in prostitution from their residential areas.

They claimed they were introduced to the bar manager, Nishikant Sahu, who in turn confessed to operating the prostitution racket in collaboration with bar owner Vasant Chandrashekhar Shetty.

Police have registered a case against the accused under Section 144(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. Further investigation into the racket is currently underway.

Mumbai: A 51-year-old advocate from Goregaon West was allegedly defrauded of Rs 2 crore by a 28-year-old woman from Himachal Pradesh who allegedly threatened to file a false rape case against him. The Goregaon police have registered a case against the woman Parul Rana, her parents, sister, and a friend for extortion and defamation.

The advocate Rajeev Ranjan, who filed the complaint on October 3, has represented India as an ambassador at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, G7, BRICS, UNICEF, the Commonwealth, and several other prominent international organisations and summits.

According to the FIR, Ranjan met Rana in May 2024 at his residence through mutual friends, after which they exchanged contact details and social media IDs. In June 2024, while Ranjan was in Geneva for a conference, Rana called him late at night, claiming her relative was unwell and asked for Rs 50 lakh. He transferred Rs 2.5 lakh from his SBI account. Later, when he returned to India, she again sought money under various pretexts, including modelling expenses, and he gave her Rs 2.5 lakh in person.

Ranjan stated in the FIR that despite informing her that he was married with a daughter, Rana pursued a physical relationship with him. Afterwards, she demanded Rs 10 lakh, of which he paid Rs 5 lakh through a friend’s company account. She later sought more money, including Rs 3 lakh at Mumbai airport and Rs 10 lakh during a stay at his residence with her sister, Nidhi Rana. In July, Ranjan and Rana travelled to Bali, a trip he fully funded.

During the visit, she repeatedly demanded more money, including Rs 20 lakh for unspecified reasons. When he refused, she began threatening him using their private photos, warning that she would file a false rape case if he didn’t comply. Ranjan alleged that Rana’s parents – Harvinder and Meena Rana – her sister Nidhi, and a friend, Konika Verma, joined in the threats, calling him and demanding money. Out of fear, he continued sending money until the total reached Rs 2 crore, most of it in cash.

Later, Rana and her family allegedly contacted Ranjan’s wife, revealing the affair and demanding more money, again threatening legal action if he did not pay. Ranjan later approached the police, who registered a case for extortion, cheating, defamation and criminal conspiracy.

Imphal, Oct 6: The security forces in Manipur have arrested four militants belonging to two different banned outfits, two extortionists, and two drug peddlers, and recovered drugs worth Rs 6 crore during the past 24 hours, officials said on Monday.

A police official said that the security forces, as part of their ongoing crackdown on outlawed militant groups, had arrested four militants belonging to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)/Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) from Bishnupur and Imphal West Districts.

Manipur’s one of the oldest militant outfits, PLA, is mostly active in the Imphal valley region with its political wing, RPF.

The arrested rebels were involved in recruiting youths for RPF/PLA, in extortion from people and government officials in the Imphal valley region and mediation through intimidation between parties in cases of loan recovery.

One of the four arrested militants, identified as self-styled Lieutenant of RPF/PLA Khangembam Manglemba Singh alias Sunny (46), would monitor the movement and presence of security personnel and share the information with his outfit.

The official said the security forces arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Mohammad Ethem Khan and Raju Khan, from their respective residences at Heingang in Imphal East district.

From their possession, two kg of highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at over Rs six crore and cash amounting to over Rs 38 lakh were recovered.

Manipur Police arrested two persons who were involved in extortion from vehicles plying on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2).

They were identified as Sarangthem Dinesh Singh (29) and Khundrakpam Mohen Singh (25) and arrested from Keinou bazar under Bishnupur district. From their possession, a two-wheeler and a mobile phone were recovered.

The official said that the security forces continue to conduct search operations and area domination in the fringe and vulnerable areas across districts.

The movement of 346 vehicles carrying essential items along Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) has been ensured without any incident.

Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations, and security convoys are provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of vehicles. According to the official, a total of 115 nakas/checkpoints were set up in different districts, both in the hills and the valley region, to prevent untoward and illegal movements of inimical elements and suspected vehicles.