Mumbai prostitution racket: 2 female actors rescued, pimp captured
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, the Mumbai Police recently busted an alleged prostitution racket operating from a hotel in Girgaon. The operation led to the rescue of two female actors, one a lead Marathi actor and the other having appeared in cameo roles in Bengali and Hindi films. A make-up artist, suspected to be acting as a pimp for these women, was also arrested during the raid.
Ongoing investigation
Police probing accused's links in film industry
The arrested accused, a make-up artist, is believed to have links with several people from the entertainment industry. The police are now probing his contacts and trying to ascertain if more women were victimized through this racket. They are also looking into how long the alleged racket had been operating and if other hotels or intermediaries were involved in facilitating these activities.
Victim treatment
Women treated as victims, their identities confidential
The identities of the rescued women have been kept confidential for their privacy and safety. Reportedly, the police treated them as victims and rescued them from the situation instead of booking cases against them. The circumstances that led these women to the hotel remain unclear; investigators are trying to find out if they were threatened, coerced, or financially exploited by the accused.
Film links
Girgaon raid comes after similar case in Kalyan
Further details about the accused, the hotel involved, and the legal provisions under which the case has been registered are still awaited. The Girgaon bust comes on the heels of another prostitution racket being busted at a hotel in Kalyan, Thane, where a female advocate was arrested for allegedly running it for nearly three months.
Human trafficking
In Kalyan, police posed as customers to verify suspicions
The Kalyan case also saw two women being rescued who were reportedly being forced into prostitution. The operation was carried out by the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell after receiving specific information about suspicious activities at the hotel. To avoid alerting those involved, police personnel had visited the premises in civilian clothes and some even posed as customers to verify their suspicions before conducting the raid.