Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted conditional bail to a woman accused of offences under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, noting her prolonged custody and the progress made in the investigation.
The relief was granted to Bismillah Begum, who was arrested in connection with a case registered by the Kanchanbagh police following a raid earlier this year.
Allegations based on police raid
According to the prosecution, the police conducted a raid on February 18 at a premises in Hafeezbabanagar based on specific information about alleged prostitution-related activities. During the operation, authorities claimed that the accused were involved in procuring women and facilitating customers.
It was further stated that two women were rescued from the premises, while one customer was apprehended at the spot.
Defence claims false implication
Challenging her arrest, the petitioner contended that she had no role in the alleged offences and had been falsely implicated in the case. Her counsel argued that there was no substantive material to establish her involvement under the provisions of the Act.
The defence also highlighted that the petitioner had been in judicial custody since February and that a significant portion of the investigation had already been completed.
Court considers custody period
Opposing the plea, the public prosecutor submitted that the petitioner’s involvement was supported by statements of the rescued women and other witnesses, and that the investigation was still underway.
After considering the rival submissions, the High Court observed that the petitioner had been in custody for a considerable period and that key witness statements had already been recorded. On these grounds, the court granted her bail, subject to conditions.
