Mumbai Police raid a bar; detain 11 girls and two bar employees

Mumbai, June 5 (ANI): Mumbai Police raided a bar serving illegal liquor and detained 11 girls, alleged to be a part of immoral trafficking, and two bar employees.

India's business and entertainment capital Mumbai is a popular source, transit and destination station for traffic in women and girls.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of the social service (SS) branch, Vasant Dhoble, said the bar did not possess a license to organise parties and the employees were involved in the supply of illegal liquor.

"The parties are arranged at this place and they do not have the licenses to hold the parties and still they organise performances. We had the information that liquor and women are supplied in the parties here. So, we had sent the bogus customers to verify the information. We conducted a raid with the local policemen at around 1.30 am," said Dhoble.

The Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) is meant to combat trafficking of females as well as prostitution in the city.

Dhoble also said cases have been registered against the people arrested under PITA.

"We have detained 11 girls and liquor was supplied in an unauthorized way. Therefore, a case has been registered under PITA (Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act) and Prohibition Act and as they do not hold the licenses. So, we have taken strict action under the Police Act. We have registered a case at a local Police station. Around four to five people have been arrested including the party organiser - a woman and a man, the hotel owner and manager," added Dhoble.

According to media reports, more than a hundred girls have been rescued in the last two-months from bars, saloons and massage centres, which were functioning as prostitution dens.

Meanwhile, South Asia is the second largest venue for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia, according to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Over 150,000 people are known to be trafficked within the region every year - mostly for sex work, but also for labour, forced marriages and as part of the organ trade, according to UNODC officials.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing transnational organised crimes in South Asia.

Traffickers often take advantage of impoverished communities, luring girls and young women and girls with promises of jobs as maids or nannies in wealthy households in the cities. But, activists say, the reality is very different. (ANI)

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