17 June,2011 06:48 AM IST | | Imran Gowhar
The girls were forced into prostitution after bands they were working shut down following strict rules being implemented by cops
Central Crime Branch sleuths rescued 10 live band artistes who were forced into prostitution after the live bands they were working shut down as a result of ACP T Suneel Kumar's strict rules being implemented.
Naveen Prakash Hegde (36), who was holding the girls in a lodge against their will and forcing them to entertain clients, was also arrested.
A victim narrated her woes to a customer who visited the lodge, which led the police to bust the racket.
Based on the tip off, a team of officials raided the lodge in Gandhi Nagar and rescued the girls and arrested Hegde.
False promises
A detailed enquiry revealed that, Hegde had brought the girls from Punjab, UP, Mumbai, MP, Delhi and West Bengal on the pretext of offering them decent jobs. On reaching Bangalore, they were forced to work in his live bands called Jashan and Cowboy, situated on Brigade road.
Food for sex
However, after the city police cracked the whip on live bands across the city imposing strict rules leading to shutting down of many dance bars, Hegde decided to force the artistes into prostitution.
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"He blackmailed us, did not pay us and always kept us locked up in the lodge," said one of the victim, adding that Hegde also stop giving them food if they refused to entertain clients.
Assistant Commissioner of Police S V Guled said that the accused used to approach clients and charge Rs 5,000 per girl. "We have decided to send girls back to their homes and asked the jurisdictional police to make necessary arrangements," Guled said.
