Maharashtra Police rescued a 35-year-old TV actor after busting an alleged human trafficking and prostitution racket in Thane. The gang used to trap women from the entertainment industry and force them into prostitution, officials said on Sunday.
A local NGO played a crucial role in the police operation, which arrested a woman while her associate remains on the run. Based on the intel passed on to them by the non-profit, Thane Police personnel approached the racket as a customer.
Unaware that they were being watched, the accused led the police source to a hotel on Mira-Bhayander Road on Thursday, October 8. After the illegal activities of the racket were confirmed, additional police forces arrived at the location and launched a full-fledged raid.
The woman, identified as Tabassum alias Sonia Umar Qureshi (39), was arrested after she was caught accepting money. She allegedly used to force women into prostitution, a police release said. Her male associate is currently at large, news agency PTI reported.
An actor working in Hindi serials and web series was rescued and placed under protective custody at the Rescue Foundation in Mumbai, the police said without providing further details.
According to the police, Qureshi and a man allegedly forced women from the entertainment industry—specifically those working in TV serials, web series, and photo shoots—into prostitution.
Qureshi, hailing from Surguja district in Chhattisgarh and currently residing at Jogeshwari in Mumbai, was arrested and booked under Section 143 (human trafficking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the release said.
