Kenyan among three women rescued in India over prostitution claims
At the first hotel, police rescued a foreign woman believed to be Kenyan and seized two mobile phones, a photocopy of her passport.
What you need to know:
- In January 2024, Chennai police rescued a 30-year-old Kenyan woman who had allegedly been lured to India with a promise of employment.
- More recently, Kenya's government said in May 2026 that 263 Kenyans had been repatriated from India following cases of exploitation.
A Kenyan woman was among three women rescued by police during raids on two hotels in India’s Patna city on Saturday following a tip-off about an alleged prostitution racket.
The operation was conducted in the Danapur area after police received information on Friday night about the suspected activities.
Local news reported that, a team led by Danapur Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ajit Kumar, together with the Danapur station house officer and a technical team, raided a hotel near Saguna Mor and another on Gola Road.
At the first hotel, police rescued a foreign woman believed to be Kenyan and seized two mobile phones, a photocopy of her passport, items described by police as objectionable and the hotel register.
Police said the woman’s identity and other details were being verified.
Sex-trafficking networks
At the second hotel, officers rescued two more women and seized a mobile phone, similar items and the hotel register.
The two hotel managers, Ravindra Singh, 21, a resident of Begusarai, and Pappu Kumar, a resident of Banka, were arrested.
ASP Kumar said police were examining the mobile phones and hotel registers to establish the identities of possible intermediaries and other people allegedly linked to the racket.
“A case was registered at Danapur police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act,” he said.
Police in Patna are continuing to examine the seized phones and hotel records as they seek to establish whether the two hotels were part of a wider network and identify other people who may have been involved.
The latest case comes against the backdrop of a number of cases involving Kenyan women who have been rescued from alleged sex-trafficking networks in India.
Forced into prostitution
In September 2023, Goa police rescued five Kenyan women and arrested two Kenyan nationals accused of running an international sex-trafficking racket. Police said the women had been lured to India with promises of jobs in the hospitality industry before allegedly being forced into prostitution.
In January 2024, Chennai police rescued a 30-year-old Kenyan woman who had allegedly been lured to India with a promise of employment and later forced into prostitution. Police contacted the Kenyan High Commission in New Delhi to facilitate her return home.
More recently, Kenya's government said in May 2026 that 263 Kenyans had been repatriated from India following cases of exploitation. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi told a Senate committee that some Kenyan women had been lured to India with promises of work in the beauty industry but ended up in brothels and were held against their will.
The Patna raid comes amid growing concerns over the exploitation of Kenyans in India. In May 2026, the Kenyan government said 263 Kenyans had been repatriated from India after falling victim to various forms of exploitation. Authorities said some had been lured with promises of jobs before being subjected to abuse and trafficking.
The figure, however, covers broader cases of exploitation and trafficking and not prostitution cases alone.
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