PUNE: A special court under the POCSO Act in Pune has recently rejected the bail application of an auto-rickshaw driver, Anil Jedhe (31, Res. Chinchwad), arrested in connection with the alleged trafficking and sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl. The Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the city police had raided Shree Sai Lodge on Satara Road in February following a tip about an ongoing sex racket and had found the minor girl in a room. Along with Jedhe, Lodge Manager Jeevan Ingole and an alleged pimp, Varsha Shirsath, were arrested, and a case was registered at Sahakar Nagar Police Station under Sections 143 and 3(5) of the BNS, Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the ITPA, and Sections 4 and 17 of the POCSO Act.
Jedhe had filed a bail application claiming that he had nothing to do with the sex racket run by Varsha Shirsath, and he had no criminal record. Special Judge and Additional Sessions Judge Kavita D. Shirbhate, however, dismissed the bail plea citing the need for a detailed investigation into the facts that police have found so far.
According to the prosecution, the minor girl came in contact with Varsha Shirsath when the girl was 14 years old, and subsequently Varsha introduced the girl to Anil Jedhe. This duo initially lured the girl with money and then pushed her into prostitution at various lodges in Pune and Chinchwad. The prosecution also submitted that a fake Aadhaar card had been prepared in her name, showing her as an adult.
Current developments suggest the case may extend far beyond the initial arrest because the girl has told police about at least 17 other girls who are stuck in the sex racket, according to the court order. While rejecting the bail, the court cited the need for further investigation into this aspect and noted that the chargesheet had not yet been filed.
Source PR Agency Maharashtra Media