Latest news with #PreventionofImmoralTraffickingAct
News18
23-07-2025
- News18
Prostitution racket busted in Thane; female agent arrested, three women rescued
Agency: PTI Thane, Jul 23 (PTI) The Thane police have exposed a prostitution racket with the arrest of a female agent and the rescue of three women, an official said on Wednesday. Acting on a tip, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of the city police on Tuesday laid a trap near the Mumbra railway bridge and nabbed a female agent, said senior inspector Vaishali Gorde. During the operation, the police also rescued three women who were being pushed into prostitution. The three women have been sent to a rescue home, she said. A case has been registered against the female agent at the Mumbra police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 143 (trafficking of person) and the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA), the official added. PTI COR NR Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Indian Express
Cops rescue minor Bangladeshi girl from Pune, two held
A 17-year-old girl from Bangladesh was rescued from Pune on Friday who was sold to prostitution racketeers in Bengaluru and Pune. Police have arrested two persons, including a 22-year-old agent from Karnataka and a 25-year-old woman, cousin of the victim. The minor was lured to India for a beauty parlour job. Police have booked the two accused persons under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 142, 143(2), 118(1), 115(2), 3(5), sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Passport Act and the Foreigners Act. A first information report (FIR) was lodged at the police station in Pune city on Friday. As per the police, the minor entered India with the help of her cousin by allegedly crossing the international border in West Bengal earlier this week. After which she was sold to sex racketeers in Bengaluru. Later she was taken to Pune with the help of an agent and was also physically assaulted when she refused to cooperate. The police was contacted for help after activists of a social organization found out about the minor. A search operation was then conducted by a police team. The minor was rescued from the city in the early hours of Friday. Police suspect the minor's cousin is also a Bangladeshi national who entered India illegally. Further investigation is on, police said.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Time of India
Housewives Join Hands to Set Up Flesh Trade After Marriages Fail
Nagpur: A prostitution racket operating from a fourth-floor flat in Aryanagar locality was busted on Thursday, exposing a grim tale of desperation. Two housewives, reeling under failed marriages and financial distress, were at the heart of the illicit operation, which was dismantled following an evening raid in Koradi police limits. The alleged mastermind, Vandana Meshram, 50, was arrested for running the brothel, while another woman, trapped in the trade, was rescued. Meshram, burdened with the responsibility of supporting her mentally disturbed husband, reportedly turned to the flesh trade to escape financial ruin. Meshram's accomplice, a woman living with her mother after a broken love marriage, joined the racket in a desperate bid for survival. The duo's unlikely alliance came to light after weeks of surveillance by the crime branch, triggered by a tip-off. The raid led to the seizure of two mobile phones, ₹2,000 in cash, and items worth ₹32,348, now under forensic examination to trace potential client networks. Meshram faces charges under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act. The raid was led by senior police inspector Sandeep Buwa and monitored by additional CP Vasant Pardeshi, DCP Rahul Maknikar, and ACP Abhijeet Patil. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Искате да научите повече за новото BMW 2 Gran Coupe? BMW Научете повече Undo The rescued woman is receiving counselling, while the bust left residents in shock. Police are investigating possible links to a larger trafficking network, emphasising their commitment to combating human trafficking. The case underscores the tragic consequences of personal and financial despair, highlighting the urgent need for robust societal support systems to prevent such desperate ventures.
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Police arrest Kalyani Deshpande in Andhra Pradesh
The Anti-Narcotic Cell of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police has arrested notorious criminal Kalyani alias Jayashree Deshpande from Rajanagaram in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sandeep Doiphode (DCP Crime), Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, 'In May, our teams received information about Deshpande's whereabouts and her involvement, along with associates, in an illegal ganja network. We conducted a raid and arrested three people, but Deshpande managed to escape. Since then, we have been trying to trace her using multiple leads and technical surveillance. Recently, we received a credible tip, and a team was dispatched to Andhra Pradesh, where she was finally arrested.' Deshpande has been a significant figure in Pune's criminal underworld for over two decades, with more than two dozen cases registered against her. The charges include violations under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), as well as allegations of murder and financial fraud. She was previously known to be running a sex racket from her bungalow in the Sus area of Pune, with a network that reportedly extended across India and abroad. In 2016, Deshpande was convicted and sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. According to police, she was released from jail in 2023–24 and allegedly resumed illegal activities with the help of her husband and close relatives. In the present case, acting on a tip-off, police raided the 'Kalyani Collection' shop in Bavdhan on May 24. During the operation, they arrested Kalyani Deshpande's husband Umesh Deshpande, her niece Aishwarya Ranawade, and Aishwarya's husband, Abhishek Ranawade, but Kalyani Deshpande yet again managed to escape. The arrest on Sunday marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on narcotics in the region.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
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".
