Thane: Police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against nine people, including seven women, allegedly involved in running a prostitution racket near Kalyan railway station in Thane district, officials said.
The action was initiated after investigators found that the accused had formed an organised crime syndicate and were systematically exploiting women for financial gain, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kalyan) Ashok Honmane said at a press conference on Monday.
Police arrested the nine accused for allegedly conspiring to force 20 women into prostitution by luring them with money.
A case was registered at Mahatma Phule Chowk Police Station in Kalyan on February 21 this year under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
Based on the evidence collected during the investigation, provisions of the MCOCA were invoked against the accused, the official said.
The accused, who were lodged in Kalyan District Jail in connection with the case, were re-arrested under the MCOCA on June 30 after obtaining permission from a local court, police added.
