Odisha police launches manhunt to nab sex trade kingpin Sunil Meher

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 24:

A day after busting an international sex racket from an apartment in Bhubaneswar, Odisha’s Commissionerate Police today launched a massive manhunt to nab its mastermind Sunil Meher- who managed to escape yesterday.

On the other hand, the police continued to question Sunil’s aide Somesh Panda who was arrested yesterday along with the rescued Russian girl all through the day today to fish out more information.

Panda was later produced in the court. A fake identity card has been recovered from him.

As per a source in the police, the girl had landed in India on February 25 and was engaged in flesh trade in Kolkata. Somesh brought her to Bhubaneswar through the Kolkata based middleman. She had agreed on a 50:50 profit sharing deal with him.

Yesterday, Somesh had confessed that the Russian had been brought to Odisha two days back and that she charges Rs 20,000- 30,000 per customer.

“Somesh Panda has been targeting customers from the higher echelon of the society including businessmen of the state and the ones visiting the state on business trips. He also has excellent rapport with various event managers and hoteliers. Besides, he has been engaging foreigners in sex trade here since quite some time now,” our source in the police added.

Meanwhile, the cops have sought help of the emigration authorities to verify the passport of the girl and gather further intelligence on her.

Notably, Odisha’s twin city Commissionerate Police yesterday busted a high profile sex racket operating in a posh apartment of Sri Vihar in Bhubaneswar and rescued a Russian sex worker.

While Sunil Meher– the kingpin of the racket and one the most wanted of the Commissionerate Police managed to escape, his aide Somesh Panda had been arrested. The cops have been grilling both Somesh Panda and the girl to understand further details including how the girl was brought here, how their network operates and their associates here.