Mumbai Crime: Bollywood make-up artist arrested for running sex racket; 2 models rescued

Bhayandar: Sleuths of the Bhayandar division of the Thane (rural) police rescued two aspiring models who were about to be pushed into flesh trade under the garb of promising roles in films. A 38-year-old female pimp who works as make-up artist in Bollywood was arrested immediately after she arrived with the models near a hotel on the Dhaavgi Road in Uttan late on Saturday night.

Following a tip-off in context to a high-profile prostitution racket, involving a small-time make-up artist in the film industry, a police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Atul Kulkarni, under the instructions of SP Dr Mahesh Patil deputed a decoy customer to established contact with the pimp. After the decoy sealed a deal for the two women, the police laid a trap, nabbed the make-up artist and rescued both the aspiring models (who are in their mid-20s) and apparently unaware that they were being taken to solicit potential clients under the garb of a film shoot in Uttan. Not ruling out the possibility of the accused operating a “casting couch” scam that involves trading of sexual favours by aspiring starlets, the investigating team led by Assistant Police Inspector Pravin Salunkhe is probing all angles, related to the racket.

Both the women had come to Mumbai with dreams of bagging roles in Bollywood. A case under section 370 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4, 5, 7 of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, (PITA) 1956, has been registered against the pimp who is cooling her heels in police custody. Meanwhile both the rescued women were sent to a rehabilitation centre.