Cafe sealed, owner booked for coercion to join flesh trade | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Owner of a café in Gomtinagar was booked on charges of sexual harassment, blackmail and forcing women employees into flesh trade, said police on Thursday. FIR was registered at Gomtinagar police station against Jamal alias Rahul, following complaint by a 28-year-old woman.According to police officials, the woman alleged the accused befriended her under false identity. He exploited her sexually and blackmailed her threatening to circulate their videos. It was all to coerce her into working at spa centres and engaging in acts against her will. Police invoked sections related to sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, cheating and other relevant offences and said charges of human trafficking were also being considered.
Police sealed the café premises and said hookahs and other banned items were seized. He said action was taken for violation of prohibitory orders related to hookah use, apart from the criminal case registered against the owner.Inspector Brijesh Chandra Tiwari of Gomtinagar police station said police were verifying allegations that other women may have been similarly coerced. Police are identifying and contacting former employees to ascertain whether a wider network was operating under guise of legitimate business activity.
