According to the police, the victim, an 18-year-old resident of Malad East, was approached by Sunita Rankhambe, a family acquaintance who often visited her home. Rankhambe convinced the victim’s mother that her daughter could secure acting roles, citing her own daughter’s alleged success in the industry
Victim was taken to locations such as Goa and Hyderabad under the guise of work opportunities. Representation pic
The Kurar police have dismantled a human trafficking racket that lured young women with promises of acting opportunities in the film industry, only to exploit them sexually. Among the six arrested are two women pimps—a mother-daughter duo—and individuals including a film production company owner, a hotelier, and a furniture businessman.
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False promises
According to the police, the victim, an 18-year-old resident of Malad East, was approached by Sunita Rankhambe, a family acquaintance who often visited her home. Rankhambe convinced the victim’s mother that her daughter could secure acting roles, citing her own daughter’s alleged success in the industry.
Interested in pursuing an acting career, the victim agreed. In June, she was taken to Titwala, where she met Rankhambe’s daughter, Soni Waghmare, who claimed that representatives from a production house would meet her. At Titwala station, she was introduced to Sameer Ali alias Aijaz Shaikh, the owner of a film production company, who offered her a chance to work on an upcoming project.
Ali took the victim to Karjat under the pretence of a film shoot but instead confined her to a flat in the Eco Green Complex. Claiming the shoot was delayed, he locked her in the apartment. Later that evening, Ali returned with hotelier Aamir Ali Jedha. The victim alleges she was given a spiked drink, after which she lost consciousness.
When she regained awareness, she found herself unclothed and in severe pain, with Aamir Ali lying beside her. Confronting Sameer Ali, she was shown a video of the assault and threatened with its release if she spoke out.
Months of captivity
The victim was held captive for nearly 25 days in Karjat, during which she was allegedly raped multiple times by Sameer Ali, his assistant Jafar Khan, and other men, including businessman Nazmuddin Tinwala. She also disclosed that Rankhambe’s daughter, Soni, was actively involved in the trafficking network.
Over the next four months, the victim was taken to locations such as Goa and Hyderabad under the guise of work opportunities. She was sexually exploited throughout this period.
Eventually, the victim escaped and returned to Mumbai, where she confided in her brother. With the assistance of Shyam Jhalke, founder of the NGO Bahujan Injustice Atrocity Eradication Action Committee, she filed a complaint at the Kurar police station.
Arrests and investigation
The police arrested Sunita Rankhambe and her daughter Soni in October and subsequently apprehended the remaining suspects. The accused include Sunita Rankhambe, 48 – Pimp and family acquaintance of the victim; Soni Waghmare, 31—Rankhambe’s daughter and accomplice; Sameer Ali alias Aijaz Shaikh, 37—owner of the production company; Jafar Khan, 51—Sameer’s assistant; Aamir Ali Jetha, 63—a hotelier from Bandra; and Nazmuddin Tinwala—a furniture businessman from Karjat.
“Under the guidance of DCP Smita Patil (Zone XII) and Senior Inspector Janardan Parbkar, our team, led by Inspector Sandeep Karvekar and API Pankaj Wankhede, carried out the investigation and arrests,” an officer said. The case has been registered under relevant sections for human trafficking, rape, and other offences. The investigation is ongoing, and police are working to ensure justice for the victim.
25
No. of days victim was confined to a room
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