Palghar: Police have arrested three Bangladeshi nationals after busting a prostitution racket operating at a house in Maharashtra’s Palghar district and rescued a minor girl and a woman from the premises, officials said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip, the police’s anti-human trafficking cell personnel conducted a raid in a flat at Naigaon in Vasai area on July 26.

During the raid, the police caught three alleged agents in the flat and rescued a minor girl who was being pushed into flesh trade, Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar’s Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Madan Ballal said.

A woman, aged 21, was also rescued from the premises, he said.

The three arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Khalid Bapari, Juber Harun Sheikh and Shamin Gaffar Sardar, all hailing from Bangladesh, the official said.

The rescued girl and the woman also hail from Bangladesh, and had allegedly been trafficked into India and forced into the flesh trade, he said.

They have been lodged at a centre of the Rescue Foundation, the official said.

An FIR has been registered against the accused under various sections, including 96 (procuration of child), 98 (selling child for purposes of prostitution, etc), 143(3), 143(4) (trafficking of person) and 144 (exploitation of a trafficked person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

They have also been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the police said.