Police Scans Properties Of Immoral Trafficking Kingpin Ashutosh Vajpai, Aides

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police scanning into properties of immoral and human trafficking kingpin Ashutosh Vajpai, his wife Mahak Yadav, and their associates suspected of amassing enormous wealth through their inter-state human trafficking racket.

Police officials said the gang had been running the network for several years, exploiting dozens of girls and women from Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

They were supplied as call girls to clients across the country. In some cases victims were even sold for forced marriages.

Vajpai has a criminal history with 13 registered cases including six related to human and immoral trafficking. He was previously arrested in connection with the murder of a call girl at a Shahpura hotel but his larger network escaped scrutiny at that time.

The full extent of the gang’s network surfaced after a minor victim was rescued by cops in January this year.

Investigations revealed that after being sold to a man in Ashok Nagar, the gang pressured the victim to abscond with cash and valuables so she could be exploited repeatedly. The victim’s ordeal began when her uncle sexually exploited her after her parents separated in 2022 while she was 15 years old.

The victim’s mother married another man while she was living with her maternal uncle. She further stated that an auto driver Salman raped her on pretext of helping her before handing her over to Vajpai and Yadav. After being sexually exploited and handed over to clients for cash, the victim was then sold by Vajpai.

Investigating Officer of the case SI Pawan Sen said a case of POCSO and another of organised crime has been registered against the accused. In POCSO case 12 persons have been arrested while 2 are absconding. In the case of organised crime, 18 among 26 accused have been arrested so far.

Organised crime angle against lawyer

Police are also considering adding the organised crime section against lawyer Yawar Khan, who was recently arrested under the POCSO Act after the rescued victim identified him as one of the accused who sexually exploited her repeatedly.

Khan, who had been contesting cases for Vajpai and his associates for the past decade already faced a rape case earlier but secured a stay on his arrest.