Fake Lakshmi Puja Promise Lures Women into Sex Trafficking Ring

Police reports indicate that the scam began with a staged Lakshmi Puja ceremony promising participants wealth and prosperity. Women were approached with the claim that attending the event would bring financial blessings. Those who accepted were then led to locations where they were coerced into sex work. Investigators say the operation involved a network of recruiters and facilitators who profited from the victims’ exploitation. The case has prompted a broader inquiry into similar fraudulent religious schemes across the country.