Jabalpur BJP leader held for allegedly pushing Assam woman into prostitution

A case was filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as the provisions of the The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. Image for representation. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur for allegedly pushing a 32-year-old woman from Assam into prostitution after she came to the city seeking work, officers said on Monday. 

According to the police, the woman, a resident of Guwahati, lodged a complaint on June 1 at the Gadha police station accusing a hotel owner and an associate of his of forcing her into prostitution, physical abuse and non-payment.

Suryakant Sharma, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jabalpur rural zone-3, told The Hindu that the hotel owner, Atul Chourasiya, is a local BJP leader and was arrested based on the woman’s complaint. The other accused, identified as Sheetal alias Mathura Dubey, is currently absconding.

“As per the woman’s complaint, she had been brought to Jabalpur on the promise of getting her a job at a clothing company. But she’s alleged that she was given the job at Chourasiya’s hotel and sent to his customers,” Mr. Sharma said.

He added that a case was filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as the provisions of the The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.

Mr. Chourasiya was produced before a court and sent to 14 days of judicial custody.

According to the FIR, accessed by The Hindu, the woman had arrived in Jabalpur in May 2023 and had been working at the hotel for approximately one and a half years.

Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent Anand Kaldagi told reporters that the preliminary investigation revealed that the two accused were involved in bringing more women from the northeastern States like Assam and Meghalaya, and forcing them into prostitution and human trafficking.

He said that the police were working on tracing and contacting more women who could be victims of the alleged racket.

Published - June 02, 2025 07:27 pm IST