14-yr RI for woman who pushed 2 girls into prostitution
Thane: Observing that poverty-stricken families are increasingly falling prey to flesh trade operators who "hunt for teenaged children and young girls to make money", a Pocso court on Friday sentenced a 40-year-old homemaker from Aarey Colony to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for pushing two minor girls into prostitution with promises of good money.
Ashwini Mukund Birhade was arrested on April 5, 2021, during a police raid at a hotel near the passport office in Wagle Estate, Thane. The operation was conducted using a decoy and authorities found the accused with two minor girls.
S
pecial judge D S Deshmukh also imposed a fine of Rs 14,000 on Birhade, which will be distributed equally between the two victims as compensation. The order was made available on Saturday.
Special public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale examined seven witnesses. Birhade faced multiple charges under
Pocso Act
, Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, Juvenile Justice Act, and various sections of Indian Penal Code relating to kidnapping and
human trafficking
.
In her testimony, one of the victims, a Class 10 student from an impoverished family, said she was introduced to Birhade through a friend. She said she was in need of money and Birhade convinced her to take up prostitution, saying she could earn well from it.
The accused used to take the girls to Thane whenever she got calls.
The judge used the case to highlight the broader crisis of violence against women and children in the country. The court noted how "many unfortunate teenaged female children and girls in full bloom are being sold in various parts of the country for petty sums, even by their parents, finding themselves unable to maintain the children on account of poverty, hoping that their children would be engaged only in household duties".
It said that such victims are often deprived of food and confined to rooms for days "until they fulfil the desire of brothel keepers".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Back in public eye: Madhya Pradesh minister who put party in a spot with remarks on Col Sofiya Qureshi
After his remarks on Operation Sindoor caused an uproar, Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah made his first public appearance in 17 days when he visited the family of a rape-murder victim in Khandwa. Shah was booked by the Madhya Pradesh Police last month after saying in a public meeting in Mhow on May 11 that India taught a lesson to those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack using 'their own sister'. While he did not name anyone, it has been alleged that he was alluding to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who had briefed the media when Operation Sindoor was underway. The minister is now under investigation by a Supreme Court-ordered special investigation team (SIT), and had not been seen in public until May 28, when he visited the grieving family of a woman who was gangraped and murdered in Khandwa district's Khalwa region. Both the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court have reprimanded the minister for his statement, and Shah has apologised for the comments three times. The ruling BJP went into damage control mode, and the central leadership of the party is yet to take a call on Shah's future. While his visit to Khandwa on May 28 marks his first public outing since the backlash, he did not speak to the media. Local BJP sources said Shah spent over two hours with the victim's family and promised both financial support and systemic interventions. He reportedly handed over a Rs 60,000 cheque, committed to building a tin roof for the family's house, and promised further financial assistance, sources said. 'He also said that a young girl in the family who had dropped out of school would be re-enrolled. Monthly monitoring meetings are to be initiated in the area to track school dropouts,' a BJP leader said. The Opposition Congress had launched a sarcastic 'missing minister' campaign, plastering posters across Indore and Bhopal with his photograph and a mock reward of Rs 11,000 for anyone who could find him. During this period, Shah skipped the special Cabinet meeting in the historic Rajwada palace to commemorate regional icon, Ahilyabai Holkar, on May 20 and another special Cabinet meeting hosted in the scenic town of Pachmarhi on Tuesday, to honour tribal icon and freedom fighter, Raja Bhabhoot Singh. Shah had also skipped the 300th birth anniversary events of Ahilyabai Holkar, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had arrived in Bhopal on May 31. The Supreme Court has extended the operation of its interim order protecting Shah from arrest. It also closed the suo motu proceedings pending before the Madhya Pradesh High Court as it is already seized of the matter. The SIT had submitted its report to the Supreme Court, which contained investigation details like forensic evidence, and sought more time for the probe.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
1,408 traffic violators stopped in their tracks
traffic violations road safety reckless driving Traffic West division cracks down on violators: Rs.7.38 lakh in fines in 1 dayThe Traffic Police of the West Division launched a special operation targeting various, resulting in the registration of 1,408 cases and the collection of Rs.7,38,700 in fines, on Monday. The crackdown aimed at curbing dangerous road behaviour such as triple riding, driving against one-way routes, violating no-entry zones, and unauthorised to the data released, a total of 45 cases were booked for triple riding, resulting in fines of Rs.22,500. Violations involving driving against one-way roads led to 114 cases and penalties amounting to Rs.58,500. The most common offence was parking violations across all categories, with 240 cases registered and fines totaling Rs.1,36,400. Meanwhile, 210 cases were filed for entering no-entry zones, collecting Rs.1,05,500 in fines. In addition to these, 795 cases were booked under other traffic violations, contributing to a significant Rs.4,16,800 in drivers and riders caught during the crackdown were educated about the importance of following traffic rules to ensurefor all. Authorities have confirmed that such special operations will continue in the coming days, reinforcing strict compliance and reducing accidents caused byA 19-year-old was booked for reckless driving after he was caught performing a wheelie on a public road in broad daylight on Old Mysore Road within the limits of the Magadi Road Traffic Police part of a special operation launched on the same day to curb dangerous driving, a team from the West Division was patrolling the area when they spotted the youth, identified as Janakiram, riding a scooter with its front wheel lifted off the ground, a stunt commonly known as police promptly intercepted the vehicle and seized it on the spot. Following a preliminary investigation, an FIR was registered against Janakiram under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for endangering human life, Section 129 of the Indian Motor Vehicles (IMV) Act for not wearing protective headgear, and Section 189 of the IPC along with 177 for furnishing false information.A high-speed crash on the upper side of the BGS flyover claimed two lives and left two others seriously injured In the early hours of Tuesday. The incident occurred around 1.30 am near the Ganesh Temple when two motorcycles to police, Mani and his friend Akash were riding a bike at high speed when they lost control and crashed into an electric two-wheeler ahead of them. The impact threw both riders off the bike. Mani sustained a leg injury, while Akash suffered severe injuries to his face, head, and legs. He was later declared dead at Victoria electric two-wheeler was being ridden by Afzal and Qasim, who also fell due to the collision. Afzal dead, Qasim critical after the bike accident.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
City Briefs: Rs. 2600 crore loan for technical education
Asian Development Bank In order to bolster technical education in the state, the government has approved a loan of Rs 2600 crore from the(ADB), said Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar. He added that officials from Asian Development Bank have already visited various technical institutions in the state for assessments, and the loan disbursement is expected to take place soon. The financial support is aimed at strengthening polytechnic and other technical colleges in Karnataka. Additionally, the minister informed that the committee led by Sukhadeo Thorat, tasked with formulating a new education policy for the state, has completed its work. The report is expected to be submitted to the Chief Minister in the second week of June, paving the way for the implementation of a new state education state government has issued an official order hiring 4,689 guest lecturers for government Pre-University (PU) colleges across Karnataka for the academic year 2025– Department of Pre-University Education had earlier submitted a proposal to the government requesting permission to hire 5,752 guest lecturers to address the shortage of teaching staff in PU colleges. The proposal also sought the release of funds to pay honoraria for these guest faculty members. After a detailed review of available records and subject-wise vacancies, the government has approved the hiring of 4,689 guest lecturers to fill posts across various disciplines. This decision has been formally communicated through an order issued by the Under Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department has ordered that certain food safety officers be relieved of their current duties and sent back to their parent department due to a lack of prescribed qualifications. According to recruitment rules laid down by the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Food Safety Officers must hold specific educational credentials. A recent review, however, revealed that several officers currently serving in the role do not meet these academic standards. This raises serious concerns, especially since Food Safety Officers are responsible for filing cases in court related to unsafe or substandard absence of technically qualified personnel may jeopardise legal proceedings and weaken the enforcement of food safety laws. In response, the department issued a directive signed by the Under Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department stating that retaining under-qualified officers could hinder effective prosecution. The order mandates their immediate withdrawal, underlining the importance of compliance with regulatory norms for safeguarding public a major crackdown, the Women's Protection Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru, raided a warehouse on Kanakapura Main Road under Talaghattapura Police limits on May 31, 2025. Acting on a tip-off, the team seized banned tobacco and nicotine products worth `61.82 lakh. Two individuals were arrested, and a cargo truck used for transporting the items was also seized. The haul included 701 packets of tobacco, 155 bags of Ganesh 60 SGT-1 tobacco boxes, 160 Cool Lip sachets, and Swagath Pan Masala. The accused admitted to illegally possessing and selling the products. Further investigation is underway.
