Kalyan: In a first-of-its-kind action in Thane district, Thane police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against a six-member women-led gang allegedly involved in running an organised prostitution racket in the Kalyan railway station area, reports Pradeep Gupta.Police said the action was taken after investigations revealed that the accused were operating a well-organised network engaged in trafficking women, luring them with money and forcing them into prostitution. The gang allegedly arranged for customers and earned substantial profits through the illegal trade.The case was initially registered on Feb 21, 2026, at Mahatma Phule police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashok Honmane said, “During the probe, police found that the accused had formed an organised criminal syndicate and were repeatedly involved in offences for financial gain”.Based on the evidence collected, police sought permission from senior officers to invoke MCOCA. Following approval from the Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region), Thane, provisions of the anti-organised crime law were added to the case.According to police, the gang had trafficked around 20 women for prostitution and used them to solicit customers in and around the Kalyan railway station area.The accused were taken into custody from Kalyan District Jail after obtaining court permission and formally arrested under the provisions of MCOCA. A special MCOCA court had earlier granted police custody till July 6, following which the accused were remanded to judicial custody.Baliramsingh Pardeshi, senior police inspector of Mahatma Phule police station, said, “The six women running the gang have at least two to four cases against them in past, and this is the first instance in Thane police commissionerate where MCOCA has been invoked against a women-led organised prostitution racket”.
