MUMBAI: Mumbai Police rescued 17 women, who were allegedly forced into prostitution, after conducting a raid in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, and arrested nine men for acting as agents, an official said on Thursday.
The operation was conducted by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Mumbai Police on August 5, he said.
"The action was taken after a woman approached the AHTU on August 4 with a complaint against two persons named Raju and Sahil, who were involved in human trafficking racket," the police official
As per the complaint, the accused duo used to bring women from different states on the false promise of giving jobs of housemaid in Mumbai, he said.
"After bringing them to Mumbai, they used to confine them to an unidentified place at Nerul in neighbouring Navi Mumbai and forced them into prostitution. The accused used to send those women to lodges and hotels for prostitution and earn money through the illicit activity," the police official said.
Taking serious cognisance of the complaint, four teams of the city police's AHTU conducted a raid at Shiravane village in Nerul and rescued 17 women and nine men, who acted as their agents, from the spot, he said.
An FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 370 (trafficking of person), 392 (robbery), 344 and 346 (both pertaining to wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention) and sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was registered against the accused persons, he said.
Police have seized cash and mobile phones from the accused persons, he said, adding that a minor brother of one of the victims was also taken into custody by the police for his safety.
The rescued victims were sent to women correctional centres, while the arrested accused were remanded in police custody till Wednesday.
"Hunt for Raju and Sahil is on," the official said, adding that a probe was underway.
