26 Women Rescued From Specially-Built Cavity Inside Mumbai Bar; 4 Arrested

Police have rescued 26 women kept in a specially-built cavity in a south Mumbai house, where a flesh trade racket was being operated, and arrested four persons, including three women, after conducting a raid, an official said on Wednesday.

The Social Service Branch (SSB) of the Mumbai police conducted the raid in the house in a building located in the Lamington Road area on Tuesday on the basis of reliable information after sending decoy customers, he said.

During the raid, four persons, including three women -- all allegedly involved in running the racket -- were nabbed, but ten of their accomplices managed to escape from the spot, said the official.

After a thorough search of the premises, the police found a specially-built cavity in the establishment where 26 women were kept, he said.

On being rescued, the women, hailing from different states, told the police they were forcefully pushed into flesh trade, the official said.

The SSB later handed over the arrested people and the rescued women to the DB Marg police station for further probe.

The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and offences related to obscenity, he said.

The IPC section 308 was invoked due to the way the women had been kept hidden in the cavity, said the official.

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