Daijiworld Media Network – Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Oct 19: An investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in Bhubaneswar has led police to uncover a major sex racket operating in the Odisha state capital. The breakthrough came after a late-night hospital alert prompted swift police action, resulting in multiple arrests and the rescue of several women.

According to Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh, officers received a medico-legal case (MLC) from Capital Hospital around 8 pm on Friday after a severely injured and semi-conscious teenage girl was brought in without any attendant. Although the initial report mentioned a “psychic disorder,” it also showed clear signs of sexual assault.

“Upon verifying CCTV footage, it was found that the girl was dropped at the hospital by one individual who fled immediately after. Further inquiry revealed a sex racket operating under Laxmisagar Police Station limits, where the minor was being forced into prostitution,” Commissioner Singh stated.

A joint team from Capital and Laxmisagar police stations swiftly raided a property in the Laxmisagar area, believed to be the centre of the illegal operation. During the raid, three women were rescued, and four persons were arrested for their alleged involvement in trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Manju Sethi (47), wife of Kasinath Sethi from Balanga in Puri district and currently residing in Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar; Mamata Sahu (42), wife of late Ramesh Chandra Sahu from Cuttack district, now staying in Baramunda; Sanjib Kumar Das (54), the house owner; and Abinash Muduli (28) of Nayagarh district, who has been accused of sexually assaulting the minor.

Police revealed that Sethi, Sahu, and Das were “living off the earnings of prostitution” and were running the operation from the Laxmisagar property. Muduli, the alleged perpetrator of the assault, has also been taken into custody. Two separate cases have been registered under relevant sections, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Officials confirmed that the three other women rescued from the premises will be reunited with their families after counselling and rehabilitation. Preliminary investigations suggest that the property served as a hub for recruiting, housing, and exploiting young women trafficked from outside the state.

Police have intensified their probe to trace the broader network involved in the trafficking and exploitation racket.