Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Ashoka Garden police have arrested lawyer Yawar Khan under POCSO Act following survivor’s testimony in court. Khan who was the defence counsel was detained late Saturday night and was sent to jail after a medical examination and court appearance on Sunday. Police may take him on remand for further questioning.
On August 24, during proceedings in POCSO court related to a case of rape and sex trafficking, the survivor had named advocate Yawar Khan along with other accused. Acting on the survivor’s statement, the court wrote to Ashoka Garden police on September 11 directing appropriate action.
The survivor alleged that Khan repeatedly assaulted her at his office and at a house in Bittan Market. She told court that she had initially forgotten the lawyer’s name but during testimony, when another lawyer mentioned it, she recalled that it was Khan.
Khan has previously defended members of the notorious Radio family, including drug trafficker Rais Radio, and his sons Yaseen alias Magistrate and Munna alias Magistrate.
Part of larger trafficking racket
The case is linked to an organised crime racket involving human trafficking and sex trade. Police investigations so far have exposed the involvement of 26 accused of whom 18 have been arrested and sent to jail.
According to case records, the survivor went missing as a minor three years ago. She was living with a relative after her parents’ divorce. After being abused by the relative, she came into contact with an auto driver who allegedly raped her before selling her to sex traffickers Ashutosh Vajpayee and his wife Mahak Yadav.
She was later forced into prostitution and was sold to a man in Ashoknagar who married her. Her mother eventually filed a police complaint and the girl was rescued in 2024 revealing the full extent of the network.
