Flesh trade: Krishna District police try to unearth mediamen' role

Vijayawada: The Krishna district police has begun attempts to  connect the dots in the flesh trade racket flourishing in Gudiwada. The recent searches by police revealed that Gudiwada has become a hub for flesh trade,  in which many prominent persons in the town are suspected to be involved. The modus operandi of the criminals is unique as it tries to be sustainable. "Those involved in the racket pick up girls from different parts of the state and bring them here on a 10 to 15-day contract," said a sub-inspector.

The contract, though unwritten, involves payment of a certain amount per day. For instance, girls in their early 20s will be paid between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 daily. Once the contract period is complete, they walk away with the money to their native places. The police said that the well-established network includes 4-5 people, who claim themselves as representatives of electronic media channels. They reportedly shoot nude clips of the clients and blackmail them for a huge amount of money.

First, a team goes around Gudiwada town identifying houses in upmarket localities, where interference would be minimal. This ensures that the girls can be changed frequently and their clients’ visits can go in peace. Once the houses are identified and rented, another team will take over the upkeep of the place. Yet another team scouts for girls from other towns and cities, who would be willing to come on this short contract.

Many of the girls are college dropouts. With the house and occupants in place, the marketing team swings into action — their sole job is to reach out to potential clients and let them know about the availability of ‘fresh’ girls.  Once the team connects the clients with the girls or women, the videographers begin their work. They shoot the nude clips of the clients and start blackmailing them for money. “It came to our notice that a few people, claiming themselves to be representatives of media channels, are also involved in the racket. We are verifying the facts,” said P. Mahesh, DSP, Gudiwada. The DSP also said that the police are looking into the links of these self-claimed representatives of media channels with gutkha and sand mining  rackets.