A promise of money raining down after a special Lakshmi Puja became the bait allegedly used by an interstate prostitution racket to lure young women in Karnataka. Ballari police have busted the network, arresting 11 people and rescuing four women following a nearly two-month undercover operation.According to the police, the accused targeted unmarried young women, particularly those facing financial difficulties, by exploiting their desperation for money and belief in superstitious rituals.

They allegedly claimed that a special Lakshmi Puja, conducted by a godman, would bring the women immense wealth.The gang reportedly had specific requirements while identifying potential targets. It allegedly sought photographs of unmarried women who were around 5 feet 6 inches tall and had no visible marks or scars on their bodies.

Apart from regular photographs, the accused demanded separate pictures of their right hands and right legs, police said.After collecting the photographs and personal details, the accused allegedly shortlisted women and persuaded them to participate in the purported ritual by promising substantial financial returns. HOW LAKSHMI PUJA PROMISE BECAME A TRAP?The accused allegedly told the unsuspecting women that the money generated through the ritual would be divided into three shares – one for the woman, another for the godman performing the puja and the third for the agent who brought her into the arrangement.However, police suspect that the religious ritual was merely a cover for exploiting and trafficking women.

The accused allegedly made the women pose nude and recorded videos of them as part of the operation. The promise of sudden wealth was thus allegedly used to draw women into a network that subjected them to sexual exploitation.WOMEN COPS INFILTRATE NETWORK IN UNDERCOVER OPIn a major operation to expose the racket, women police personnel from the Akka Force posed as financially vulnerable women and infiltrated the network.The undercover operation involved nearly two months of surveillance and investigation, during which the police gathered information about the accused and their alleged activities.

The operation eventually led to the identification of those involved and the busting of the racket.The gang allegedly operated across multiple locations in Karnataka, including Ballari, Chikkamagaluru and Mysuru, besides Anantapur in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, giving it an interstate network.According to the police, the accused also used coded words such as 'Media' and 'Paper' to communicate and coordinate their activities.RACKET BUSTED, 11 ARRESTED, 4 WOMEN RESCUEDBallari police have arrested 11 accused and rescued four women in connection with the case. A case has been registered at the APMC Police Station in Ballari.Investigators are also searching for another key accused, identified by the code name 'DR'.

Further investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the alleged interstate operation and identify others who may have been involved.The police are probing how the network identified and recruited women, how the purported rituals were organised and the extent of exploitation carried out under the guise of the Lakshmi Puja.- Ends