The DB Marg police has recently traced and arrested a 30-year-old pimp from a chawl in Navi Mumbai for allegedly pushing a minor girl, who is her neighbour, into prostitution in a brothel in Grand Road (east).
The fact that the victim was a minor was established after the medical report was released from Nair Hospital a few days ago. After this stringent rape sections of IPC and Pocso were added to sections of flesh trade, human trafficking, running a brothel and running it in an area less than 200 metres away from a temple as well as a mosque, under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act.
The police received a tip-off that the girl had been pushed prostitution three days after she was brought to the brothel. She was raped before she was rescued, a police official said.
The victim’s father had abandoned her mother and two siblings when they were just kids. The family hails from Beed district. The girl’s mother works in a factory to make ends meet. The pimp is a prostitute and being their neighbour was well-versed of the financial crisis and family problems and knew she would be easily swayed.
On January 15, the police raided room no. 27 on the second floor of Om Nivas building where brothel was being run and eight girls were rescued including the minor. All of them have been sent to a shelter home. The building is located less than 200 metres away from a mosque as well as a temple. Back then alleged pimps Raju Chaman Yadav (30), Dwarika Yadav (21), Farzana Shaikh (30) were arrested but the fourth accused (the pimp of the minor) was on the run. Later she was arrested on January 23.
It has been learnt from police sources that Raju Yadav is also involved in managing more flesh trade dens.
The pimp’s identity has been withheld to protect the minor’s identity.
