Woman Alleges Pune-Based Overseas Job Consultants Sold Her Into Prostitution in Portugal, Airport Police Probe Matter

Pune, 7th August 2026: A 28-year-old woman from Nagpur has alleged that she was cheated of Rs 11 lakh on the promise of a supermarket job abroad and was later trafficked to Portugal, where she was allegedly sold to the owner of a beer shop and forced into prostitution. After escaping from Portugal and returning to India, she lodged a complaint with the Airport police in Pune, who have registered an FIR against seven persons.

The alleged offences took place between December 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, at the office of an immigration consultancy operating from UG-5, Phoenix Marketcity, Viman Nagar, and at various locations in Portugal.

Based on the woman’s complaint, police have booked Pratima Bhati, Amit Kumar Jha, Azhar Sheikh and Kapil Mishra, all residents of Pune, along with Vamsi, Chaitanya and Himmat Singh, who are based in Portugal.

According to the FIR, the woman came across the Instagram page of an immigration consultancy, ‘We Migrate’, while searching for overseas jobs in December 2025. The page featured videos of candidates celebrating after allegedly receiving foreign visas. After contacting the company, she was called to its office in Pune, where the accused allegedly promised her a job as a supermarket cashier or worker in Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark or Poland, with a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakh, an eight-hour workday, two weekly holidays and a three-year work permit.

The accused allegedly demanded Rs 11 lakh to arrange the job and work permit, which the woman paid in instalments. On March 24, 2026, she was invited to the Pune office for a celebration after being informed that her overseas job had been confirmed. She alleged that she was made to sign several employment-related documents but was not provided copies.

The woman left India on May 21, travelling from Mumbai to Madrid via Abu Dhabi. On reaching Spain, she was contacted by a man identified as Anil, who informed her that another accused, Vamsi, would receive her. The FIR states that Vamsi deliberately delayed her onward journey, causing her to miss the scheduled bus to Portugal. She eventually reached Portugal late that night, where Chaitanya allegedly took her to an undisclosed location belonging to Himmat Singh.

The complainant alleged that her passport was forcibly taken away and she was confined to a room for two days. She claimed that the accused returned her passport only after taking Rs 40,000 from her. She was then told she would have to stay in Odemira village until her student residence permit was processed and that she would eventually be employed as a supermarket cashier.

Instead, she was allegedly housed with two other Indian women—one from Rajasthan and another from Haryana—and was sent to work at a beer shop owned by the house owner under the guise of a supermarket job. When she questioned the arrangement, she was allegedly told by Anil to “adjust” until her residence permit was issued.

According to the complaint, on June 27 the beer shop owner allegedly asked her to work at his residence. The woman alleged that Anil then called her and instructed her to “impress” and “keep the owner happy in every way”. When the owner learnt that she had informed Anil about the situation, he allegedly told her that he had paid money to Pratima Bhati and her associates to “buy” her and that she had not been brought to Portugal for employment but would have to do whatever he instructed, including keeping him happy.

The woman further alleged that the two other women living with her told her they too had been forced to accompany men for prostitution on the owner’s instructions.

The complainant informed her husband about the alleged trafficking and escaped from the house in the early hours of June 29. She travelled by bus to Lisbon via Zambujeira before reaching Madrid, from where she flew to Delhi via Doha. Her husband met her in Delhi, and the couple later returned to Nagpur.

Police said that even after her return to India, the accused allegedly continued to contact her. Pratima Bhati allegedly asked her to courier her passport, while Anil allegedly demanded an additional Rs 3 lakh on the promise of arranging a job in Malta. He also allegedly threatened to implicate her husband in a molestation case or have him killed if the money was not paid.

The woman told police that she was initially unable to file a complaint because of severe mental trauma. After approaching Pune Police’s Crime Branch and narrating her ordeal, an FIR was registered at the Airport police station. Police said further investigation is underway.