Mumbai Crime: One arrested for luring women into prostitution

The accused Aruna Chavan lured the women into prostitution by offering them a huge amount of money. File pic/iStock

The Vasai Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, has booked and arrested a 41-year-old woman who lured women who had lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 lockdown, into prostitution. The police rescued two such women on Monday.

According to the police, Assistant Sub-Inspector Parkash Nikam attached to the Vasai Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, received information about the woman and informed Senior Inspector Bhaskar Pukle about it. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner Prashant Waghunde, Pukle sent a bogus customer and caught the accused
woman, later identified as Aruna Chavan.

During interrogation, it was revealed that the rescued women, aged 21 and 23, had lost their jobs during the lockdown and were the only earning members of their families. While looking for a job, they had met the accused in Kurla a couple of months back.

Aruna lured the women into prostitution a month back by offering them a huge amount of money.

The police arranged a dummy customer who chose one of the two women after paying Aruna Rs 2,000. The police then took Aruna into custody and rescued the women.

"We booked and arrested the accused woman under various sections of IPC such as 370 for trafficking of persons and handed her to the Waliv police for further investigation," said Senior Inspector Pukle of the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, Vasai.

The police are investigating whether Aruna has accomplices and has trapped other women.