Social Service Branch officials raid guesthouse in Patliputra building, only to learn that it is owned by former Mumbai CP-turned-MP Satyapal Singh, who rented it out to a leading business house

Having rescued two women and arrested a pimp from a posh building in Versova, officials of the Social Service (SS) Branch of the Mumbai Police were shocked to find that the property that they had raided with success was owned by none other than former city police commissioner and incumbent BJP MP Dr Satypal Singh.

Singh had leased out the property to a well-known business house. The SS Branch has handed the case to Versova police station for further scrutiny. The police revealed that they had received a tip-off on Saturday night, after which they raided the tenth floor of Patliputra building near Kokilaben Hospital, in Andheri.



After receiving a tip-off on Saturday night, officials of the Social Service Branch raided the tenth floor of Patliputra building near Kokilaben Hospital, in Andheri. Pic/Ashraful Huda

“Working on the basis of information that we received, we raided the India Bulls guesthouse and arrested Vakil Raju Shah, its caretaker,” said Mahesh Patil, deputy commissioner of the SS Branch. The SS Branch officers laid a trap, posing as customers and asking for the service of prostitutes. Once the accused fell for their ruse, they swooped in and raided the guesthouse.

“We have handed the case over to Versova police for further investigations, and booked Shah under sections 3,4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act,” said Patil. The Versova police have summoned officials from Shah’s tenant, and are likely to visit the former commissioner to check his rent agreement.

This is not the first time that a property owned by a senior police official in the city has been exposed as a den for a sex racket. In 2011, mid-day had reported that erstwhile DCP Nandkumar Chougule’s bungalow, which he had rented out to a spa, was home to a flourishing ‘sex spa’. Chougule was later suspended.

After receiving a tip-off on Saturday night, officials of the Social Service Branch raided the tenth floor of Patliputra building near Kokilaben Hospital, in Andheri. Pic/Ashraful Huda