17 women rescued from hotels in Nagaland, 6 held

At least 17 women, allegedly forced into a prostitution ring, were rescued during raids at various hotels in Nagaland's Dimapur district on Monday, and six people have been arrested in this connection, police said.

A 40-member police team raided the hotels in New Market area of Dimapur town and rescued the women, likely aged between 20 and 30, a senior police officer said.

The women were handed over to a rehabilitation centre, he said.

Initial inquiry has revealed that the women were also subjected to extortion by a network of pimps and hotel managers, the officer said.

Show cause notices were issued to the owners of the hotels, he said, adding, police is communicating with the authorities concerned to cancel their trade licenses.