TV actor rescued from alleged prostitution racket; Police arrest 39-year-old woman in Thane

A 35-year-old television actor has been rescued after police uncovered an alleged prostitution racket targeting women from the entertainment industry in Maharashtra’s Thane district. A 39-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the case, while police are searching for her alleged male accomplice.

According to a police release issued on Sunday, the operation took place on October 8 after officers received a tip-off from an NGO. The police sent a decoy customer to a hotel on Mira-Bhayander Road and subsequently raided the premises, where they allegedly caught the accused woman accepting money.

The woman has been identified as Tabassum alias Sonia Umar Qureshi. Police allege that she was involved in forcing women into prostitution.

TV actor placed under protective custody

The rescued actor has worked in Hindi television serials and web series, police said. She has been placed under protective custody at the Rescue Foundation in Mumbai. Authorities have not disclosed further details about her identity or the circumstances surrounding her rescue.

Investigators allege that Qureshi and her male associate targeted women working in the entertainment industry, including those involved in television serials, web series and photo shoots, and forced them into prostitution.

Woman arrested, search for associate underway

Qureshi, 39, is originally from the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh and was living in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari area, according to the police release.

She has been booked under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with human trafficking, along with provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

Police are continuing their search for the alleged male accomplice as the investigation proceeds.