Mumbai massage parlour manager held for forcing women into flesh trade

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An official said that the Mumbai Police on Sunday raided a Mumbai massage parlour in the Powai area and rescued two women who were allegedly forced into prostitution by its manager who has been arrested, reported news agency PTI.

The official told PTI that the accused Nikhil Pareekh (38), the manager of the Mumbai massage parlour, was arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Prevention of Immortal Trafficking Act (PITA). The official said that further investigation is underway.

In another case, an official on Saturday said that the police have arrested a woman from Thailand for allegedly running a prostitution racket in Thane city of Maharashtra, reported PTI.

The official said that the arrest was made after they conducted a raid at a hotel on Friday night, during which the police also rescued three women from Thailand, reported PTI.

"Based on a tip-off that a Thailand woman was operating a prostitution racket and pushing women from her country into the flesh trade, a team of the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of the police raided a hotel and nabbed her," DCP Shivraj Patil of the Crime Branch told PTI.

The three Thai women, who were rescued during the operation, were later sent to the Rescue Foundation at Poisar in Mumbai's Borivali, he said, reported PTI.

The police have registered a case against the arrested woman under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the official said.

Meanwhile, a police official on Saturday said that a man was arrested in Ambernath in Thane district for allegedly kissing a 14-year-old mentally unwell girl forcibly, reported PTI.

The official identified the accused as Harish Raju Shengal (26), who has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Indian Penal Code for sexual harassment, use of criminal force against woman and other offences, reported PTI.

"He took the girl to an isolated room near her house in Bhuvapada on June 10 and kissed her forcibly. He touched her inappropriately. Shengal was arrested on the complaint of the victim's mother," the Ambernath police station official told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)