Sex racket busted in Navi Mumbai; three held, six women rescued

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The Navi Mumbai police have busted a sex racket in a raid at a lodging and boarding facility and arrested three persons, an official said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

Based on a tip-off, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of the Crime Branch raided the premises in the Narpoli area of Kon in Panvel on Thursday, the official said.

Three persons were arrested, and six women were rescued from the establishment, he said.

Senior inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade said the police used a decoy customer to bust the racket and arrested the manager of the lodge and two other employees, reported PTI.

Efforts are underway to trace the fourth accused involved in the illegal activity, he said.

He said an FIR has been registered at the Panvel Taluka police station under the Prevention of Immoral Traffic (PITA) Act and sections 370(2) (trafficking of person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

29 children rescued from illegal hostel in Thane district after complaint about abuse; 5 booked

In another incident, at least 29 children were rescued from an unauthorised hostel run by an organisation in Maharashtra's Thane district following a complaint about abuse, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI.

The police on Friday rescued 20 girls and nine boys from Pasaydan Vikas Sanstha, a residential institution in Khadavli and registered a case against five persons under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a release by the district administration stated, reported PTI.

The Child Helpline received a complaint on Thursday that children were being beaten up and sexually abused in the institution.

A team from the District Women and Child Development office, along with the police, inspected the institution on Friday and found the allegations true after interacting with children, the release said.

The rescued children were presented before the Child Welfare Committee. Some of them study in the Zilla Parishad School in Khadavli, reported PTI.

In view of their upcoming exams, the education department is coordinating with the office of education officer to make special arrangements for their exams.

As per the release, a case has been registered against the institution's director, two of his family members and two others.

Collector Ashok Shingare said, "The safety and welfare of children has always been the administration's priority. Strict action will be taken against the culprits," reported PTI.

District Women and Child Development Officer Santosh Bhosale has appealed to all citizens to come forward with complaints about such unauthorised institutions and report abuse or exploitation of children.

(With inputs from PTI)