PUNE: The Faraskhana police have rescued eight women including six minors from two brothels in Budhwar Peth during two raids on Friday and Saturday. The police have arrested two brothel owners for allegedly forcing these women into prostitution. The suspects have been identified as Kanta Kancha Nepali (64) and Savita Thapa (43) of Budhwar Peth.

According to the police, the first raid was conducted on Friday around 9.30 pm at the Tajmahal building. The police rescued a 21-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl, both hailing from West Bengal. The girls were drugged and brought to Pune around two years back and forced into prostitution. "We arrested the brothel owner, Nepali. We have also booked three other persons," senior inspector V M Gangalwad said.

Another raid was conducted on Saturday evening, in which five minors and a 26-year-old woman were rescued. Gangalwad said that two of the minors were from Bihar and three from West Bengal, Assam and Nepal. The suspect, Raju (full name not known), brought them to Pune and sold them to Thapa. Gangalwad said thatthe owners of the houses have also been booked for renting their houses to run brothels.