Thane, Aug 19 A special sessions court here has convicted two women for sex trafficking and running a prostitution racket, and sentenced them to up to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, noting that the severity of the punishment must reflect the nature of the crime committed against vulnerable women.
The court also imposed a collective fine of Rs 6,000 on the convicts, identified as Jeenat Rehman Shaikh (39) and Saeeda Amin Shaikh (53).
In an order dated August 18, the Additional Sessions Judge S S Renge convicted Jeenat and Saeeda under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA).
They were also sentenced to different terms and fined under the PITA Act. All the sentences will run concurrently.
The Anti Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of Thane Police busted the sex racket on July 27, 2022.
The court weighed the gravity of human trafficking against societal impact, noting that the severity of the punishment must reflect the nature of the crime committed against vulnerable women lured into commercial sexual exploitation.
