4 booked under IT Act for prostitution using website

S Shyam Prasad | NT

Bengaluru: Four persons from Bengaluru have been booked under the Information Technology (IT) Act apart from the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for conducting a prostitution racket using a website.

“The allegation against the accused persons is that they were displaying the photographs of ladies in their website and were contacting their customers for the purpose of illegal business of prostitution,” the HC noted in its judgement on the petition filed by the accused seeking bail in the case.

The four men from Bagalgunte in Bengaluru were booked by the Bagalgunte police for the offences punishable under Sections 370, 370A(2), 370(3) and 24 of the IPC, Sections 3,4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

The police claimed that they had received credible information on October 10, 2023, that the first floor of a house in MEI Layout was being used for prostitution.

A raid was conducted and six persons were arrested and four women were rescued. Four of the accused sought bail before the Trial Court which was dismissed.

So they approached the HC. Their petition was heard by Justice S Vishwajith Shetty. Their advocate argued that, “The alleged offences are not exclusively punishable with life imprisonment or death. Petitioners are in custody from 10.10.2023. Major portion of the investigation is completed. The rescued ladies are majors and they have not stated that they were forcibly brought to Bengaluru for the purpose of illegal business of prostitution.”

The HC in its judgement noted that “The material available on record would go to show that the rescued ladies are majors and they have not stated before the police that they were induced or forcibly brought to Bengaluru for the purpose of prostitution. Even according to the prosecution, the house in which the raid was conducted was taken on rent by accused no.1.”

The allegation against the four accused who approached the HC was that “they were displaying the photographs of ladies in their website and were contacting their customers for the purpose of illegal business of prostitution.”

The HC said that they were entitled for bail as “The alleged offences are neither exclusively punishable by death or life imprisonment. Major portion of the investigation in the case is completed. Petitioners who have no criminal antecedents are in custody from 10.10.2023.”

Allowing the petition and granting them bail, the HC said, “Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the petitioners have made out a case for grant of regular bail.” (CrlP 11465/2023)