Live band racket busted in Bangalore

The Bangalore police have busted a live band racket by arresting two men and women, besides rescuing a total of 20 girls, who were entertaining patrons gathered in farmhouses on the outskirts of the City.

Acting on a tip off, the Bangalore police raided a house in the City’s Brindavan extension and rescued 20 girls, hailing from Mumbai and Kolkata, all aged between 18 and 25 years.

The kingpin of the racket, Pandit, 35, his associate Salman, 22, and woman identified as Pandit’s sister in law, who were also present in the house have been arrested.

Police said the accused, who had brought the girls to the City a couple of months ago, were engaged in deploying them as live band artistes to clients. The girls performed at farmhouses on the outskirts of Bangalore in Sarjapur, Nelamangala and Bagalur clandestinely as the Karnataka Government has banned live band performances.

The accused had taken a three-storeyed building belonging to a former counciller in Bangalore on rent to house the girls. Pandit had told the owner that he would occupy one the house on one floor while his brother and sister in law will stay in the house on the other floor. He had not disclosed to the owner who would be staying in the third house.

When police raided the house on Tuesday, eight girls were found staying in one house while the other 12 girls were staying in another house.

Apart from sending them to perform as live band artistes in farmhouses, police said the accused was also coercing the girls into prostitution. The police have registered a case under Immoral Trafficking Act.

The unearthing of a clandestine live band racket by the City police comes as several hotels and restaurants across Bangalore were seeking licences from the police to resume live band performances in their establishments.