Two actresses were reportedly rescued after the Mumbai Police busted a sex racket in South Mumbai's Girgaon neighbourhood. A makeup artist, who is believed to be the kingpin, was arrested, news reports said.
The operation took place at a luxury hotel based on intel served to the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of the department. The information was passed on to Unit 4 of the Crime Branch-CID — who took charge of the entire operation.
The officers confirmed the intel was factual by sending in one of their own as a potential customer, the news report said. Once the tip-off was found solid, the hotel was raided.
While one of the two rescued women is an actress in the Marathi film industry, the other has appeared in cameo and supporting roles in Hindi and Bengali films, a prominent Hindi media outlet reported. They were taken for further procedures as per legal requirements, news reports said.
The police have reason to believe that the arrested makeup artist managed the entire racket, including the job of an agent, as he facilitated contact between clients and the women. The Mumbai Police are now investigating the suspect's network and associates, as his relations in the entertainment industry are said to have helped him. As per reports, they have started to understand how long the racket had been operating and how many people were involved. They will soon examine the suspect's mobile phone, financial transactions and other digital records.
The hotel management is also being probed to determine whether any staff members were aware of the activities, Mid-Day said in a report.
