MADURAI: A 22-year-old woman from Uzbekistan was arrested from a hotel in Perumal Maistry Street here on Sunday for possessing a forged Aadhaar card.
The woman, identified as Naimova Jerina (22), held a forged Aadhaar card in the name of Robiya Nishan of East Delhi.
Police said the Anti Human Trafficking Unit led by Hema Mala and her team got a tip-off about prostitution at a private hotel in the city. A police constable in the guise of a customer called the service broker who asked the latter to visit a room in the hotel where the woman was staying.
During her interrogation, the woman informed police that she came to India with a two-month tourist visa valid from January 10, 2019 to March 10, 2019. She initially worked at a restaurant in New Delhi but was later brainwashed into becoming a sex worker. During her stay in Delhi, she was issued with a forged Aadhaar card by the broker. In the last week of February, she came to Chennai and later reached Madurai.
The woman claimed to police that she loved the country and even if she was deported, she would return to India. The inspector claimed she possessed a certificate from the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and hence could not be booked for staying without a valid certificate. “As it was Sunday, the police could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the certificate with the immigration department,” said a police officer.
Sources from the department said they had taken legal advice on the case. “She can be charged only for possessing a forged Aadhar card at this stage. She may also be subsequently booked for staying in India without a valid visa,” he said. Thideer Nagar police registered a case against her under IPC sections 468 and 471. She was later remanded in Madurai Central Jail.