In shocking incidents of brutality against women, a 24-year-old's breasts were cut off by three persons including a brothel keeper, after she refused to be pushed into flesh trade, while another woman was burnt alive for allegedly spurning sexual advances in the district.
"The victim, who had been trafficked from Gujarat to the powerloom town (Bhiwandi) and was sold to the brothel, was forced into flesh trade," Police Inspector Rajan Saste of Kumbharwada-Bhiwandi city police station told PTI.
However, when she refused to follow the orders of the woman brothel operator, her breasts were chopped off, he said.
According to him, the woman was even branded and several of her teeth were broken by the accused.
She was later rescued by some people and taken to IGM Hospital in Bhiwandi, but was later shifted to Thane District Civil Hospital.
Police said that the woman is not in a position to speak.
The 34-year-old brothel operator identified as Ruby, was arrested on Saturday, while two males- Alam and Afraz- who were also part of the diabolical crime that took place on March 19, are still at large, police said.
The police have booked the trio under various sections of the IPC, including section 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave).
The arrested brothel keeper was produced before the local magistrate, who remanded her into police custody till March 25, police said adding that further investigation into the case is on.
In the second incident, Lakhan Yadav, a labour contractor with a steel company, came to the house of his colleague on Friday night at Abhitghar when his wife was alone and sought sexual favours from her.
However, when the woman refused, he threatened her with dire consequences. He later poured kerosene on the woman and set her on fire, Wada police station inspector Sanjay Hazare said.
The severely burnt woman was admitted to the government hospital where she died yesterday, police said.
The accused was subsequently arrested and charged under section 302 (murder) of the IPC, they added.
