On July 16, 2024, we received a lead about a minor being sexually exploited in a lodge in Barshi, Maharashtra. We traveled to Barshi the same day to verify this information. Due to heavy rain, we arrived too late at night to confirm the information.
On July 17, we learned that the minor had been brought to the lodge three days earlier and was scheduled to be moved soon. We promptly informed the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in Solapur, who agreed to coordinate a raid. However, due to continued heavy rains, we postponed the raid to the next day.
On July 18, at 12 p.m., we met the AHTU and discussed rescue strategies. At 1:50 p.m., the police and our team raided the lodge. The police arrested the manager of the lodge, a man in his 50s who was sitting at the reception desk. In a room adjacent to the reception, we discovered seven women. We continued to search the building and found the minor, Sayoni, in a room with a customer. We rescued Sayoni, and the police collected evidence and completed filing their initial reports. The police and our team proceeded to the police station with the eight survivors, the manager of the lodge, and the customer.
At the police station, the police interviewed Sayoni and the seven women. They were reluctant to divulge any information. Their answers sounded scripted, and they gave us false home addresses. After the police completed the First Information Report, we accompanied the survivors to their medical tests, and then they were placed in a shelter home.Â
On July 19, the eight survivors appeared before a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) officer in Solapur. He ordered their placement in a shelter home in Solapur, then authorized us to conduct home investigations for the survivors through an official order to the Solapur Probation Officer.
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