Nairobi woman wanted in immoral trafficking case held at Ahmedabad airport

In November 2018 Mumbai crime branch raided a dance class run by Rajiya Patel’s alleged associate and Bollywood choreographer, Agnes Hamilton, and arrested her for allegedly sending girls in Nairobi on the pretext of giving them job at her dance club

Mumbai The Mumbai crime branch arrested wanted accused Rajiya Patel, 45, after she was intercepted by immigration authorities at Ahmedabad airport up on her arrival from Nairobi on December 19.

Nairobi woman wanted in immoral trafficking case held at Ahmedabad airport

Police officials said she was intercepted pursuant to the Look-Out Circular (LOC) issued against her in 2019 after the Mumbai crime branch had in November 2018 raided a dance class run by Patel’s alleged associate and Bollywood choreographer, Agnes Hamilton, and arrested her for allegedly sending girls in Nairobi on the pretext of giving them job at her dance club. The officials said once the women reached Nairobi in Kenya, Patel took their passports and allegedly forced them into prostitution.

Patel, according to the police, settled in Nairobi for more than decade and married a local resident. The couple run two dance clubs in Nairobi, said police inspector Ghanshyam Nair of Unit 5 of the Crime Branch.

Patel was brought to Mumbai on transit remand and produced before a metropolitan magistrate court. The court remanded her to police custody till December 26, Nair added.

The case was registered with the Sahar police against Patel and Hamilton in November 2018 after a 25-year-old woman approached the crime branch and narrated her ordeal.

“The victim in her statement said she had approached Hamilton in July, 2018, for a job. Hamilton told her that her friend, Rajiya Patel, lived in Nairobi and ran two dance clubs and she could get a job there. The victim agreed and after completion of formalities, she was sent to Kenya the same month. The victim was promised ₹1.5 lakh salary per month,” added the official.

The victim told police that they were made to dance from 8pm to 4am, where people would come and shower money on them. The victim claimed in a statement that Patel took all the money and she was not paid after which she refused to dance in the club. The incident came to light after Kenyan police raided the club and found several girls, few of whom were Indians. The victim and others were deported to India in September 2018, added officials.

The victim then approached the crime branch and based on her statement a case was registered at the Sahar police station. Hamilton was arrested on the charges of immoral trafficking and exploitation, criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code. During interrogation police learnt that Hamilton had sent five to six women to Kenya.

Hamilton used to run a dance class in Adarsh Nagar, Andheri, added official.