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Posing as customers, two police officers in plain clothes had allegedly used marked Rs 500 notes as part of a trap to uncover a prostitution racket. They were instructed to make a missed call and share their location if the money was accepted. The operation began after the police received secret information that sex workers were operating around Mall Road and the Manali bus stand.

At around 1.40 am, one of the decoys made the call and shared their location with the police. Officers then reached the spot and apprehended seven women and two men. According to the prosecution, the rescued women informed the police that they were brought to Manali with promises of jobs as domestic helps but were instead pushed into prostitution. One of the men arrested in the raid later approached the Himachal Pradesh High Court for bail.

Describing the act of inducing a person to become a sex worker as “the worst degradation of humanity”, the high court recently rejected the bail plea of the man accused of pushing women into prostitution. The court said releasing the accused could encourage similar offences and harm society.

Justice Rakesh Kainthla said in the August 19 order, “Even if girls were carrying out the activities with their consent, based on the inducement provided by the petitioner, the offence would be made out. The age gap between the petitioner and the victims cannot rule out the possibility of the inducement by the petitioner.”

The order added, “Inducing a person to become a sex worker for getting money is the worst degradation of humanity and objectifies the human body. Releasing the petitioner on bail would encourage other persons to do so and would harm society.

Advocate Anchal Sharma, appearing for the accused, argued that he was innocent and was falsely implicated. She added that there was no material to connect him to the crime. The counsel submitted that there was a huge age gap between him and the survivors, which made it highly improbable that he had induced the women to enter into prostitution, and prayed that the man be released on bail.

Deputy advocate general Prashant Sen submitted that the accused had brought the women to Manali on the pretext of work and forced them into prostitution. He argued that the accused lived on the earnings from prostitution, which was evident from the recovery of the marked currency note.

The counsel submitted that the man would commit a similar offence if released on bail, and prayed that the bail plea be dismissed.

The court rejected the man’s argument that the women, being adults, could not be induced into prostitution, and held that the offence would be made out even if the activities were being carried out with their consent, based on the inducement provided by the man. The age gap between him and the women could not rule out the possibility of inducement by the accused, it held.

The court emphasised that the girls would be unable to make a free and fair disclosure if the accused was released, and stated that he could not be released on bail to ensure a fair trial. It also noted that the offence under Section 143(3) was punishable with life imprisonment, making the nature of the offence heinous, and denied bail. The court also noted that the man had not filed the chargesheet to demonstrate that there was any delay on the part of the prosecution.