In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old woman, who was rescued from an alleged flesh trade racket on a Chembur spa was sent with the informant who is believed to have tipped them off, but barely 20 hours after they allowed the informant, the woman returned to the same police station to file a rape case against Jha.

The Chunabhatti police are in trouble now and are claiming that they sent the rescued woman with the informant in “good faith” and did not expect the turn of events. The police have arrested Jha and are investigating the woman’s complaints under Sections 341, 364, 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, while Jha has been taken into police custody.

According to sources, Rikesh Jha, 35 had served as an informant to the local police and helped with several cases. Late in June, Jha informed police about a prostitution ring being operated out of a spa and salon in Chembur, following which the spa was raided. The police rescued four women (one of whom is the complainant’s sister) and took them to the police station. As the FIR was being registered, Jha allegedly told the senior police officers present that the woman in question was his source and that she be let off.

The next day, the woman returned to the station, alleging that Jha had raped her immediately after leaving the Spa. She said he took her to a nearby hotel, where he booked a room using her PAN card. Promising to help her sister get off the hook, he raped her and took photos of her.

“We trusted Jha as such informers help us in cracking big cases in future,” said a police officer.

Criminal lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan said, “In this case, the police should first charge Jha with robbery, because he snatched the complainant’s PAN card at the hotel and kidnapping because he told her he is taking her to meet a police officer and instead took her to the hotel and raped her.”

With this attitude towards women, no wonder women folk feel scared and helpless!