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A senior woman advocate has been arrested for allegedly operating a prostitution racket from a hotel in Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Sunday.

Two women allegedly forced into prostitution were rescued during the operation.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) raided the hotel on Saturday after receiving information that an educated woman had been running the racket for the past three months by exploiting financially vulnerable women.

The accused, who practises at courts in Kalyan and Panvel, was arrested following the raid.

According to police, the AHTC placed the hotel under surveillance for several days. Officers visited the establishment undercover as customers, ordering tea and snacks while discreetly gathering information. During the surveillance, they allegedly observed suspicious activity.

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On Saturday, the AHTC team coordinated with the Kolshewadi Police before carrying out the raid. After identifying possible escape routes, officers sent decoy customers into the hotel before busting the alleged racket.

"We are currently investigating how long this advocate had been running the racket at the hotel, how many other women she has trapped into this business, who her accomplices are, and the extent of the hotel owner's involvement," Kolshewadi Police Station Inspector S.G. Naik said.

Police said they were also investigating the extent of the hotel owner's alleged involvement in the operation.

A case has been registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

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