Two girls held for immoral trafficking freed

A day after Bombay High Court refused to grant relief to two sisters detained under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act during a raid in a restaurant here, a lower court today released them.

Mumbai: A day after Bombay High Court refused to grant relief to two sisters detained under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act during a raid in a restaurant here, a lower court today released them.

The two, who had been sent to a remand home after the raid on June 5, were released by a Magistrate in Mazgaon here.

The High Court had yesterday disposed of a petition filed by the two sisters seeking defamation action against the Assistant Commissioner of Police Vasant Dhoble for "suspecting them as prostitutes". They had claimed Rs one crore each from the cop as compensation for illegal detention.

The two had claimed that they hail from good family and were at the restaurant to celebrate a friend`s birthday.
However, the court rejected their claim that the police had branded them as prostitutes saying action taken against the sisters were in accordance with the provisions of law. The bench said that their detention was not illegal as they were taken into custody for investigation.

"Rescuing you and producing you before a Magistrate is in accordance with the provisions of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act", Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice A R Joshi had remarked.
The bench also held that if the parents of the girls had sought a legal remedy before a Magistrate then that court should pass an order on detention of the victims.

Accordingly, the Magistrate today released the girls and gave their custody to their parents.

PTI

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