By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Oct. 25:
Three small time film and TV actresses were rescued and an actress, functioning as an agent was taken into custody when the Mumbai Crime Branch busted a prostitution racket after raiding a five- star hotel located at Goregaon East in North Mumbai on Saturday.
A case has been registered under section 370 of IPC and sections 3,4 and 5 of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, 1956 (amended in 1986 ) (PITA) and Vanrai police station is conducting further probe, Senior Inspector Mahesh Tawade said.
Acting on a tip-off that the racket involved struggling actors and belly dancers, Unit XII of the Crime Branch sent a decoy customer and set a deal for three women for a consideration of Rs.10.50 lakh. Later, a team was sent to the hotel and the arrest was effected.
The arrested 27 year old lady used to lure the small time TV artists from the Hindi and Punjabi and was involving them into prostitution. She was supplying girls to big and high profile clients.
Under PITA, any person over the age of eighteen years who knowingly lives on the earnings of the prostitution can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. Where any person over the age of eighteen years is proved to have exercised control, direction or influence over the movements of a prostitute in such a manner as to show that such person is aiding, abetting or compelling her prostitution or to be acting as a tout or pimp on behalf of a prostitute, shall be presumed, to be knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution of another person.
Besides under PITA, a person who induces another to go from any place, for the purpose of prostitution, any person who causes or induces a person to carry on prostitution, can be punished on conviction with rigorous imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than seven years and also with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, and if any offence under this sub-section is committed against the will of any person, the punishment of imprisonment for a term of seven years shall extend to imprisonment for a term of fourteen years.
