Pune, 3rd December 2025: Pune court has sentenced seven Bangladeshi women to two years and two months of rigorous imprisonment for staying in India illegally and engaging in sex work in the Budhwar Peth area.
The court has also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on each woman and directed the state government to send them back to Bangladesh after their sentence is complete.
The order was issued by Additional Sessions Judge U.P. Kulkarni. The case dates back to October 9, 2023, when the Social Security Cell of the Pune Police Crime Branch raided the third floor of a building in Budhwar Peth and detained the seven women.
They later admitted that they had crossed the border from Bangladesh into India through unauthorised routes without passports or valid documents. Police records show they had been involved in sex work for nearly four years before the raid.
The Faraskhana police registered offences under the Passport Act and the Foreigners Act, and the chargesheet was filed accordingly. As per Section 106 of the Indian Evidence Act, the women were required to prove that they were Indian citizens or had lawful permission to enter the country, but they failed to do so.
Additional Public Prosecutor Pramod Hajare argued that the women had been living in India illegally and should face strict punishment before being sent back to their country.
The court observed that although the women came to India due to poverty, entering and staying in the country without valid documents is a serious crime. It also noted that the women have been in custody since their arrest. The time already spent in jail will be counted towards their sentence, after which they must be deported to Bangladesh as ordered by the court.
