Mumbai Police Action Against Illegal Prostitution Rackets Drops Sharply In 2026; Cases Fall 55%, Arrests Decline 87%

Mumbai: The Mumbai police have recorded a significant decline in enforcement action against illegal prostitution rackets in the city, with the number of cases registered dropping by more than half in the first nine months of 2026 compared to the corresponding period last year.

Prostitution-Related Cases Drop From 31 To 14 In Nine Months

According to official police statistics, 31 cases were registered against illegal prostitution activities up to September 30, 2025. However, during the same period in 2026, the number fell to just 14 cases.

The decline is also reflected in the number of women rescued and accused persons arrested. While police rescued 128 women, and four minors, between January and September 2025, the figure dropped sharply to just 38 women during the corresponding period in 2026.

Number Of Women Rescued Falls Sharply In 2026

Similarly, the number of accused arrested for allegedly facilitating, operating or running prostitution rackets fell from 190 in the first nine months of 2025 to just 24 in the same period this year.

Mumbai police conduct operations against illegal prostitution through various units, including the Social Service Branch (SSB), the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), local units of the Crime Branch and jurisdictional police stations. These operations primarily target spas, massage parlours, high-profile hotels and online sex trafficking networks. During such raids, police rescue women allegedly forced or pushed into prostitution and arrest those suspected of operating the rackets, including agents and pimps.

Annual Police Data Shows Fluctuations In Enforcement Action

The annual figures also indicate fluctuations in enforcement action over the past two years. In 2025, Mumbai police registered 38 cases, rescued 146 women and five minor girls, and arrested 112 accused persons in connection with prostitution-related activities.

In comparison, during the entire year of 2024, police registered 26 cases, rescued 80 women and two minors, and arrested 35 accused.

Recent Raids Highlight Continued Prostitution Racket Operations

Despite the decline in the overall number of cases, police have continued to uncover alleged prostitution rackets at different locations across Mumbai.

In November 2026, Ghatkopar police took action against a suspected woman pimp, identified as Tina Hemant Kansara, 40, at LBS Road in Ghatkopar West. During the operation, police rescued two women, including a 17-year-old minor girl. Kansara is accused of allegedly operating a prostitution racket by arranging transactions through WhatsApp.

In another operation in November 2026, Mumbai police raided a spa centre in the Hiranandani Gardens area of Powai and allegedly uncovered a prostitution racket. An 18-year-old woman was rescued, while a case was registered against the spa manager.

Earlier, in June 2026, the Mumbai Crime Branch busted an alleged high-profile prostitution racket operating from a hotel in Girgaon. During the raid, police rescued two actresses, including a prominent Marathi actress and another actress associated with the Bengali film industry and minor roles in Bollywood. A suspected agent, allegedly a celebrity make-up artist, was arrested in connection with the case.

While these individual operations indicate that alleged prostitution rackets continue to operate through hotels, spas and online networks, the official figures point to a substantial decline in the number of cases registered, women rescued and accused arrested in 2026.

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