Casting couch racket busted in Mumbai,8 models rescued; 3 held

The rescued women told the police that theaccused persons pushed them into prostitution in return ofroles as actors and offering break as models, he said.Prem and the two women were booked under thePrevention of Immoral Trafficking Act PITA along withvarious sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said.An FIR has been registered at Juhu police station, hesaid.

A casting couch racket thatforced aspiring actresses and models into prostitution hasbeen busted in Mumbai with the arrest of three persons,including a casting director, while eight models were rescuedfrom a posh hotel, a crime branch official said on Wednesday.

Police recovered Rs 5.59 lakh cash, 15 mobile phonehandsets, and a car during the raid on Tuesday.

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As per preliminary information, the rescued models hadworked in various advertisements, movies and in some webseries, the official said.

Acting on a specific information, the police's CrimeIntelligence Unit conducted a raid on the hotel located nearthe Juhu beach in western suburbs on Tuesday, he said.

During the raid, the police rescued eight models whowere being forced into prostitution, the official said.

The arrested persons included one Prem, who is acasting director-cum-film producer, and two women pimps, hesaid, adding that one of the arrested women hails from WestBengal.

The rescued women told police that Prem pushed theminto flesh trade by promising them roles in movies and byoffering break as models, he said.

''Clients used to contact the members of the racketthrough various websites,'' he said.

The official said a police personnel contacted a givencontact number by posing as a customer and deposited Rs 2 lakhin the (bank) account number provided by Prem.

''As pre-decided, the woman was to come to the hotel inJuhu on Tuesday. A trap was laid by the crime branch team withofficials of Social Service branch of police who raided theroom 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, hesaid.

''Police have rescued the eight models who, primafacie, had worked in several commercials, movies and also insome web series. The rescued women told the police that theaccused persons pushed them into prostitution in return ofroles as actors and offering break as models,'' he said.

Prem and the two women were booked under thePrevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) along withvarious sections of the Indian Penal Code, he said.

An FIR has been registered at Juhu police station, hesaid.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)