Pune, 13th May 2026: The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Pune Crime Branch raided a lodge in the Katraj-Ambegaon area and busted an alleged prostitution racket being operated under the guise of a lodging business. During the operation, police rescued four young women and arrested the lodge manager.
The accused has been identified as Sachin Baburao Gaikwad (28), a resident of Pansare Nagar in Kondhwa and originally from Umarga in Dharashiv district. He was managing Dwarka Lodging and Boarding located in Ambegaon Budruk.
According to police, the Crime Branch had received specific information that illegal flesh trade activities were being carried out at the lodge. To confirm the tip-off, officials sent a decoy customer to the premises on Monday night. After verifying the information, the police team conducted a raid and caught the accused allegedly operating the racket.
Investigations revealed that Gaikwad was allegedly luring women into prostitution by offering them money. The rescued women were taken into protective custody, while further investigation into the case is underway.
The action was carried out under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vivek Masal, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumbhar. The raid was executed by a team led by Police Inspector Chhagan Kapse along with other officers from the Crime Branch.
Police officials said strict action will continue against illegal activities being run from lodges and similar establishments across the city.
