Mother, agent held for pushing minor girl into prostitution

A 43-year-old woman and an agent were arrested in Navi Mumbai for attempting to sell the woman's minor daughter for ₹1.5 lakh. The agent was caught after trying to arrange a meeting with a bogus customer. The woman and the agent have been charged under various sections of the law.

Navi Mumbai

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A 43-year-old lady and an agent has been arrested for trying to sell the lwoman’s minor daughter for ₹1.5 lakh.

Senior police inspector Ravindra Daundkar from Turbhe MIDC police station received an information about an agent named Sonu who was in search of a ‘customer’ for a ‘virgin’ girl. The police arranged for a bogus customer who contacted Sonu for a girl. Sonu told the customer that he knew of a girl, but he would have to pay him ₹1.50 lakh for the deal and they agreed to meet at a bus stop in Mahape MIDC area on Wednesday evening.

At the pre-decided place, Sonu alias Shahrozali Irshad Ali Sayyed (31) came with a 43 year old lady and her 17 year old daughter. After the exchange of the money, Sonu asked the girl to accompany the ‘customer’ to a nearby lodge and the police nabbed the agent and the girl’s mother.

On probing further, the police learnt that the accused agent, a resident of Bonkode village in Koparkhairane, worked as a driver previously. Struggling to earn sufficiently to support his family, he decided to become a middleman in the flesh trade.

Meanwhile, the woman, a resident of sector 17C, was unemployed and struggled to make ends meet. When she narrated the hardships she faced to Sonu, he suggested that her daughter could enter into flesh trade, and convinced her that the girl could fetch a high price i the flesh trade. The mother demanded ₹1 lakh for the same. The daughter told the police that she agreed to what her mother said as there was no other means to earn money.

The accused have been arrested under the sections 366 A (protection of minor girls from being forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person), 370 (Buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 372 (Selling minor for purposes of prostitution) and sections under Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.