Sonepur: Police have busted a sex racket operating from a rented house and a hotel in Sonepur town, arresting seven people and rescuing six trafficked women, Superintendent of Police (SP) Narayan Nayak said at a press conference Sunday.
The crackdown followed a tip-off about suspected illegal activities at a rented house near the district headquarters hospital.
Acting on the information, a police team led by Sonepur SDPO Kalyani Behera and IIC Yadav Bag raided the premises Saturday night.
During the search, police rescued a woman and seized incriminating materials. Subsequent questioning led investigators to Hotel Green Park in Baiganjuri area, where further raids were conducted.
Police said five women and five men were found in separate hotel rooms under suspicious circumstances.
During questioning, the individuals allegedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations for their stay and admitted to involvement in illegal activities.
The arrested accused were identified as Ashutosh Pujahari, 50, owner of the rented house; Ajit Kumar Sahu, 34, manager of Hotel Green Park; and five alleged customers identified as Mahendra Meher, 29, Pran Kishore Bag, 25, Satyanjay Naik, 29, Gopal Bhoi, 35 and Soumitri Mallik, 40.
All seven were produced before a local court Sunday after undergoing medical examinations.
The six rescued women, from Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Bolangir and Bargarh districts, were placed under protective care before being handed over to their guardians, police said.
Addressing reporters at the district police office, Nayak said investigators seized more than 13 mobile phones and other materials during the operation.
He added that preliminary findings indicated some of the women had been forced into the illegal trade against their will.
A case has been registered at Sonepur Town police station, and further investigation is underway. Additional SP KK Hariprasad was also present at the press briefing.