Pune: A raid at a premises, allegedy operating a sex racket under the guise of a spa, in Pune’s Viman Nagar, turned into a tragedy after a woman died while attempting to flee by climbing down a drain pipe.
The woman (30) is from West Bengal and is suspected to have been a victim of trafficking, pushed into the flesh trade. A man in his forties, the manager of spa, also suffered injuries in the fall and has been admitted to hospital with fractures, The Times of India reported.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from Vimantal police station raided The Roots Spa around 3.30 pm on Monday. The raid was carried out after it was confirmed that the spa was being used to conduct a prostitution racket, a police official said.
On seeing the policemen, the man and the woman allegedly bolted towards the balcony. Before the police could reach them, the man reached the drain pipe and started climbing down. The woman followed suit.
However, the pipe could not bear their combined weight and gave way, throwing both of them into the parking lot below. The woman landed on her head and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital. The man had fractures on his legs.
A few women, some customers and the spa manager were present at the spot when the raid took place, the police told The Indian Express.
DCP Somay Munde confirmed the death of a “victim” woman, who was allegedly lured into the flesh trade by the sex racketeers. “Four victims were rescued from the spot during the action,” he said.
The process is underway to register an FIR against the manager and owner of the spa under relevant of the BNS Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA), the police said. An accidental death report was filed at the Vimantal police station in connection with the woman’s death.
