Central unit of Crime Branch rescued 40 women from a prostitution racket after a raid at a hotel on Wednesday night. The raid was lead by from central unit and team.

Following a tip-off by an NGO to the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar, a team led by senior police inspector Nivrutti Kolhatkar raided Blue Star Hotel in MAFCO market, APMC. When a decoy customer approached them the hotel staff agreed to send a girl to Prince Lodge nearby. The customer was asked to pay ₹5,000. After paying up, the customer went to the lodge and found a girl waiting for him.

“She revealed that she was 17 years old. Meanwhile, we confirmed from the hotel that the women who worked there as waitress were also sex workers. We raided the bar and rescued 39 females and also the one at Prince Lodge,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Pravinkumar Patil. The age of all those rescued is being verified. The police also arrested two managers of Blue Star Hotel, two cashiers and one waiter.

The accused have been arrested under various sections of IPC, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Juvenile Justice Act.