Three Held For Running Brothels In Hyderabad

Based on a tip-off, sleuths of the Commissioner's Task Force on Thursday raided brothel houses under the Banjara Hills Police Station limits where they apprehended three traffickers and seized Rs 40,000, 17 unused condoms, a passport and six cell phones from their possession.

The officers also rescued three victims, including a Russian national.

The accused were identified as Kurian Tharayil Jacob alias Alex/Tony, 37, brothel organizer at Maheshwari Towers, Road No 1, Banjara Hills; Yamala Mery, 42, brothel organizer at Road No 12, Banjara Hills, and a native of Mandapeta in East Godavari district; and Pankaj Kumar Mandal, 23, cook and brothel organizer at Durga Enclave, Road No 12, Banjara Hills, and a native of Chammur village in Patna district of Bihar.

Police said Mery and Mandal had originally decided to run brothel houses in Hyderabad, and had accordingly taken flats on rent in Banjara Hills and started running operations. The two were responsible for bringing customers, too. Jacob used to bring sex workers from places including Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta, and also Russia, on an agreement of Rs 16,000 as payment per day.

The accused, along with the seized property and the rescued victims, were handed over to the SHO, Banjara Hills PS.