The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an anticipatory bail plea filed by a man accused of running a “brothel” in Punjab and directed the State Police to arrest the man if he doesn’t surrender by tomorrow as directed by the Court. (Pankaj Singh Vs The State of Punjab)
The Court has further directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, District-SAS Mohali, State of Punjab to file a compliance report within a week.
A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Aniruddha Bose has passed the above direction while hearing the anticipatory bail application by a man who is avoiding arrest in an FIR for the alleged offences under Section 3, 4, 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, registered on 12.01.2021. The Supreme Court has noted that the petitioner is the owner of said properties where the raid was conducted by the Punjab Police.
Section 3 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, deals with “Punishment for keeping a brothel or allowing premises to be used as a brothel,” Section 4, “Punishment for living on the earnings of prostitution,” and Section 5, “Procuring, inducing or taking 1[person] for the sake of prostitution.”
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The Apex Court bench dismissed the appeal filed by petitioner accused and held, “looking to the nature of accusation and overall circumstances, we clearly of the view that petitioner should immediately surrender before the court concerned or the Investigating Officer latest by tomorrow, i.e. 22.05.2021, Ordered Accordingly.”
Further it said, “if the petitioner fails to do so, the Senior Superintendent of Police, District -S.A.S. Mohali, Punjab shall ensure that appropriate steps are taken for arrest of the petitioner and submit compliance report to this court within a week from today.”