Produce magistrate order on remand of sisters: HC to state

The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state to produce a magistrate’s order remanding two sisters in a remand home in Chembur for alleged prostitution charges.

The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state to produce a magistrate’s order remanding two sisters in a remand home in Chembur for alleged prostitution charges.

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The two sisters, who have approached the high court seeking compensation of Rs. 1 crore each, were among 11 women picked up by the Mumbai police’s Social Service Branch from an Andheri restaurant Masala Curry on June 5.

According to the police, they were detained on suspicion of being involved in prostitution and later produced before a magistrate who sent them to the remand home.

A division bench of justice AM Khanwilkar and justice AR Joshi held that the petitioners should approach the appropriate authority for release from remand home.

Petitioners’ lawyer Anand Jhondhale argued that the magistrate had refused to grant them bail even though they were arrested. However, additional public prosecutor Usha Kejariwal contended the sisters had not been arrested, but merely remanded in the Mahila Sudhar Gruha in Chembur.

One of the sisters has been a Mumbai resident for two years now while the other sister, a New Delhi resident, had come down for a visit. They had gone to Masala Curry restaurant for a family friend’s birthday party, the petition states.

Kejriwal argued the party was just a front as messages were being floated saying 11 girls were available at the venue. The two sisters were part of this group, Kejriwal added.