Sex traders want to memorise this face

While busting a prostitution racket at a swank pub in Colaba, ACP Vasant Dhoble found his photograph with the establishment's employees, who had allegedly been asked to monitor his movements

He's no movie star. But assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vasant Dhoble of Social Service (SS) branch apparently has his photographs lying around in people's desk drawers. Well, not just any people.


Dry 'spell'! Voodoo pub and discotheque at Colaba where a sex
racket was busted by cops on Friday. (Above right) Social Service
Branch ACP Vasant Dhoble. PIC/Milind Karekar

On Friday, based on a tip-off, a team of SS branch raided Voodoo pub and discotheque at Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, and rescued eight girls including four German nationals. Following the raid, cops booked the cashier, bouncer and waiter found at the premises under various sections of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA).



Shot to fame
While making inquiries with an employee of the hotel, Dhoble found his photographs from a drawer close to the cash counter. The staff allegedly revealed that they had been given Dhoble's photograph to remain alert in case he was spotted close to the premises.

Confirming the news, Dhoble said, "The staff were given specific instructions with my photographs, since I conduct raids on hotels." Dhoble, who, sources say, has been making at least three to four such raids every week, has been on the radar of hoteliers for giving them a tough time. If reports are to be believed, bar owners keep a close watch on Dhoble's movements every time he moves out for raids.

Keeping watch
"For the last several years, hotel owners have deputed men to follow the movements of Social Service branch officers whenever they venture out for conducting raids. Since Dhoble is handling the show, all their (hoteliers) men have been put on the job to monitor his movements," a police source from SS branch said.

Working partner of Voodoo, Sahpur Irani said, "The German nationals rescued from the premises were merely customers and were working for a Coimbatore-based NGO. They have nothing to do with prostitution as claimed by SS branch officers." When asked about Dhoble's photograph that was found with his employees, Irani said, "I am not aware of it."