Thane Kasarwadvali police arrested a 35-year-old woman who used to force minor girls into prostitution to earn more money. The accused holds a masters degree in science and got into the business to lead a luxurious life with the extra money.
Her family members were unaware about her actions. The accused also has a 14-year-old daughter.
The sleuths of the anti-human trafficking wing, along with the Kasarwadvali police, received a tip off from an NGO about the illegal activities that were going on in the apartment. The NGO officials told the police that the girls belonging to poor families were being forced into prostitution by the accused.
Her modus operandi would be to fix deals with clients over the phone and then she would ask the clients to go to a flat that she had rented in Kasarwadavali where she would send one of the minor girls as well.
One of the police officials then contacted the woman, under a false identity to strike a deal with her while a team laid a trap in the area. An official posed as a customer and met the pimp. ‘’Our official was paying the woman Rs 25,000 when our sleuths caught her red handed.’’
Police officials said that on interrogation the accused revealed that she got into the business as she wanted to lead a luxurious life as this job paid her more money than she could earn out of a regular job.
She first lured her domestic help into the trade by promising her a good amount of money for the work. She then also got the domestic help’s 16-year-old daughter to get into prostitution. One month into the business, she did not pay the women at all but would blackmail them into working for her, threatening to reveal their photos in compromising positions to the public, said sources from the police.
Commenting on the case, inspector P.N. Nirgudkar said, “We rescued the two women and arrested the pimp. We also seized Rs 28, 000 from her. The women have been arrested under sections 366 (A) (procuration of minor girl), 370 (A) (buying or selling of any person as a slave) and 372 (selling minor for purpose of prostitution) of the IPC and under sections of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.”
