COIMBATORE: Coimbatore city police on Thursday busted a prostitution racket and arrested two persons including the mastermind who allegedly has international connections, and his manager. The latter suffered fracture in his leg while attempting to escape, police said.
The mastermind was identified as Sikkandar Basha (38) from Cumbum in Theni district. His manager S Stephan (32) is from Marthandam in Kanniyakumari district. He stayed at Podanur in Coimbatore. Basha operated from Kolkata and allegedly brought women to the country from Russia and several Asian countries on tourist visa, police said.
Sikkandar earned several lakhs of rupees every month and had funded rowdy gangs across in Tamil Nadu, police said. Sikkandar Basha is wanted in 40 cases across the country and Stephen faces around 20 cases. The two were under police surveillance.
Recently, Coimbatore police traced Sikkandar Basha in Kolkata and went there last week but he moved to Dubai. Two days ago, he came to Chennai. Police arrested him on Thursday when went to Madurai to meet his family members. Sources said several bureaucrats were in touch contact with him.
Meanwhile, Race Course police arrested Stephen on robbery charges. According to police he robbed Rs 4,500 from a man at Avarampalayam on Wednesday night and escaped. Based on the information, the police surrounded him and tried to arrest him on Thursday morning.
While attempting to escape, he fell and suffered a fracture on his right leg. He was arrested and admitted to the prisoners’ ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Thursday evening after the remand process.