Minor among five rescued as prostitution racket busted in Mumbai; two held

Mumbai: A 16-year-old girl and four women were rescued and two pimps arrested after police exposed a prostitution racket in central Mumbai, an official said on Wednesday.

The crime branch busted the racket in the Chembur (East) area on Tuesday, the police official said.

Acting on the inputs that two men would be bringing women to a restaurant as part of their illicit activity, police sent a decoy customer with the help of an NGO for confirmation.

Police then raided Sadguru restaurant in the area and nabbed the two alleged pimps, identified as Harilal Bandu Chaudhary (42) and Aftab Alam Ansari (26), the official said.

The team, led by assistant inspector Sachin Gavade, also rescued a teenager and four women, the official said. All the victims hail from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

A case has been registered at RCF police station against the two pimps under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO), he added.