Mumbai, March 22 Police have busted a prostitution racket operating out of a dance academy and rescued 25 women from the establishment in Solapur district of Maharashtra, an official said on Sunday.
Five people, including a woman, have been arrested on charges of human trafficking, following an operation at Swaranjali Kala Kendra in Modnimb village last week, he said.
Based on a tip-off, the operation was carried out jointly by a team from Tembhurni police station and NGOs Harmony Foundation and Exodus Road India Foundation, the official said.
At least 25 women, including one from West Bengal, were rescued during the raid, he said, adding that the victims have been shifted to a rehabilitation home.
Dr Abraham Mathai, chairman of Harmony Foundation, said that preliminary investigations revealed that individuals linked to Swaranjali Kala Kendra and Swagat Lodge were allegedly involved in trafficking women from different districts and states and forcing them into the sex trade.
To verify the information, an operation was conducted with a decoy customer with the help of police personnel and independent witnesses, he said.
