Police rescued a 35-year-old TV actor from an alleged Thane trafficking racket.
A 39-year-old woman was arrested following a decoy operation on October 8.
Investigators are searching for the alleged male associate under human trafficking laws.
TV Actor Rescued From Alleged Human Trafficking Racket In Thane
The rescued actor, who has worked in Hindi television serials and web series, has been placed under protective custody as investigators search for another suspect.
Summary
A 35-year-old TV actor has been rescued from an alleged human trafficking and prostitution racket targeting women from the entertainment industry in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Sunday, as per a report in PTI.
A 39-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the case, while police are searching for her alleged male associate. According to a police release, the racket allegedly forced women working in television, web series and photo shoots into prostitution.
How police busted the alleged trafficking racket
Acting on a tip-off from an NGO, police sent a decoy customer to a hotel on Mira-Bhayander Road on October 8. Officers subsequently raided the premises and caught a woman identified as Tabassum alias Sonia Umar Qureshi allegedly accepting money in connection with the prostitution racket.
The rescued actor was placed under protective custody at the Rescue Foundation in Mumbai. Police have not disclosed further details about the actor or the circumstances surrounding the alleged exploitation.
According to officials, Qureshi and her male associate allegedly targeted women working in the entertainment industry, including those involved in television serials, web series and photo shoots. Investigators are now attempting to trace the second suspect as they probe the operation.
Woman arrested under trafficking laws
Qureshi, originally from Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, was residing in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari area, the police release stated. She has been arrested and booked under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with human trafficking, along with provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
Police said the search for her alleged male associate was continuing. The investigation is expected to establish the extent of the alleged racket and whether other women were targeted.
The case has brought renewed attention to allegations of exploitation involving vulnerable workers in the entertainment industry. However, further details about the rescued actor and the accused man's alleged role have not yet been made public.
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