Red corner notice to be issued against 3

Mumbai: The state government is in the process of issuing a red corner notice against three other accused living in gulf countries and tinvolved in an international prostitution racket.

Dr Ranjit Patil, minister of state for home, Thursday informed the state Legislative Council that while three accused had already been arrested, another three were living in Bahrain and Dubai and efforts were underway to arrest them at the earliest. Dr Patil said that the state government was taking steps so that Interpol could issue a red corner notice against the accused.

The minister was replying to a question raised by NCP MLA Jagannath Shinde and others who pointed out that women from various states were being lured into the flesh trade on the promise of jobs in foreign hotels and so on.

Dr Patil said, “During the period from July to October this year, the accused sent a victim to a gulf country under the pretext of a job and forced her into prostitution. The accused also extorted `2 lakh from her for her release. The police has arrested three accused in this case and also confiscated passports of 52 women from them.”

The Mumbai crime branch recently busted an international flesh racket where women from India and neighbouring countries were being sent to gulf countries under the pretext of jobs only to be forced into the flesh trade. The officials of the Anti-Extortion Cell said that at least 40 women, mostly from Rajasthan had been rescued.