07 August,2026 07:51 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
Police said another woman has also been named as an accused in the case and is currently absconding. Representational Pic
Thane Police in Maharashtra busted an alleged prostitution racket operating at a hotel in the city, arresting a woman broker and rescuing four women, officials said on Friday, reported the PTI.
The operation was carried out on Wednesday at a hotel located on Pokhran Road in Thane West.
According to Madan Ballal, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), the accused allegedly lured financially distressed women with false promises before bringing them to the hotel and forcing them into commercial sex work.
Acting on a tip-off, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) laid a trap, detained the woman broker and rescued four women from her custody.
To ensure their safety and welfare, the rescued women have been shifted to a state-run protection and rehabilitation shelter home, the official said, the news agency reported.
An FIR has been registered at the Vartak Nagar police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said an another woman has also been named as an accused in the case and she is absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest her.
In a similar incident earlier in July, Mumbai Police busted an alleged prostitution racket operating out of a luxury hotel in Girgaon, South Mumbai, rescuing two actresses and arresting a make-up artist accused of orchestrating the operation, officials said.
The anti-human trafficking cell carried out the raid earlier this week after receiving a tip-off about suspected illegal activities at the hotel.
To verify the information, police first deployed a decoy customer. After confirming the allegations, the team conducted a raid at the hotel and took the accused into custody.
During the operation, police rescued two women from the hotel. Officials said one is associated with the Marathi film industry, while the other has appeared in Hindi and Bengali films in supporting and cameo roles.
The women were taken for the necessary legal procedures, and investigators have begun examining the circumstances under which they were allegedly drawn into the racket.
Police are also probing whether the network extends beyond the hotel and if similar activities were being conducted at other locations.
The arrested accused is a make-up artist who allegedly acted as an agent and organised the prostitution racket.
According to investigators, he had contacts within the entertainment industry and is suspected of using those connections to facilitate the illegal operation.
Police are questioning the accused to establish the full extent of his involvement and identify other people linked to the racket.
Investigators were examining the financial transactions related to the alleged prostitution racket and attempting to trace other individuals connected to it.
(With PTI inputs)
