Casting couch racket busted in Mumbai 8 models rescued 3 held

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    Mumbai, Jan 20 (PTI) A casting couch racket that
forced aspiring actresses and models into prostitution has
been busted in Mumbai with the arrest of three persons,
including a casting director, while eight models were rescued
from a posh hotel, a crime branch official said on Wednesday.
    Police recovered Rs 5.59 lakh cash, 15 mobile phone
handsets, and a car during the raid on Tuesday.
    As per preliminary information, the rescued models had
worked in various advertisements, movies and in some web
series, the official said.
    Acting on a specific information, the police's Crime
Intelligence Unit conducted a raid on the hotel located near
the Juhu beach in western suburbs on Tuesday, he said.
    During the raid, the police rescued eight models who
were being forced into prostitution, the official said.
    The arrested persons included one Prem, who is a
casting director-cum-film producer, and two women pimps, he
said, adding that one of the arrested women hails from West
Bengal.
    The rescued women told police that Prem pushed them
into flesh trade by promising them roles in movies and by
offering break as models, he said.
    "Clients used to contact the members of the racket
through various websites," he said.
    The official said a police personnel contacted a given
contact number by posing as a customer and deposited Rs 2 lakh
in the (bank) account number provided by Prem.
    "As pre-decided, the woman was to come to the hotel in
Juhu on Tuesday. A trap was laid by the crime branch team with
officials of Social Service branch of police who raided the
room and nabbed Prem and two women pimps," he said.
    Prem's interrogation revealed that at least ten women,
including eight models, are part of the prostitution ring, he
said.
    "Police have rescued the eight models who, prima
facie, had worked in several commercials, movies and also in
some web series. The rescued women told the police that the
accused persons pushed them into prostitution in return of
roles as actors and offering break as models," he said.
    Prem and the two women were booked under the
Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) along with
various sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said.
    An FIR has been registered at Juhu police station, he
said. PTI DC GK
NSK NSK

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)