30 bar girls held in raid in Mumbai

Mumbai, Nov 12 (UNI) Thirty girls were arrested by the officials of Social Service Branch (SSB) of city police from a bar at Sewri in central Mumbai on the charge of prostitution.

Acting on a tip-off, two undercover officers of the SSB went inside Sadanad Bar in Sewri, posing as customers. Two bar girls accompanied them to a nearby guest house. Then, a police team raided the bar and arrested 28 girls present there. Two others were arrested from the guest house.

Most of the arrested girls are from West Bengal. They were booked under the various sections of Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA), said Inspector Nishkant Patil of SSB, a member of the raiding party.

He said the girls were serving liquor in an objectionable manner in the bar. The bar was acting as a pick-up joint.

According to sources, among the arrested were underage girls and a pregnant woman.

When asked about this, Mr Patil said ''We are not sure about the age of the girls, as their medical reports are not yet avilable.

Everything will be clear once their reports come in.'' For age determination the girls were produced before the police surgeon at police hospital at Nagpada in south Mumbai this morning.

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