Bengaluru, Jul 22 (IANS): For the first time in the history of Karnataka, the central crime branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru Police is seeking one-year preventive custody of a 42-year-old woman over repeated pimping, immoral trafficking and prostitution.

"We have prepared a case against Swati under the Goonda Act for her repeat trafficking offences and submitted it to the Karnataka High Court," Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain told IANS, here on Wednesday.

If the CCB's case is accepted by the high court's advisory board, Swati will be behind the bars for one year without bail. "The high court will set a date in seven weeks for hearing at which I will present the case, recommending her detention," said Jain.

Swati is the first immoral trafficker in the history of Karnataka to be booked under the Goonda Act, recommending one-year preventive custody.

According to Jain, the CCB will seek such order because Swati is a habitual offender and all means to prevent her from immoral trafficking have failed. "She has been jumping bail, absconding and misleading investigators. Based on these details, we have booked her under the preventive Act," Jain said.

In a series of raids, the police have rescued several girls from her hold and seized money. In about eight instances of Swati's arrest, the police rescued 7-8 women every time. Thus, more than 50 women have been rescued.

She was running 4-5 massage parlours, owning a few of them and some in partnership in the city, and allegedly used them to pimp directly and indirectly.

Swati was taken into the custody at the end of June and put in jail as she was absconding for a long time with several arrest warrants against her.

The Goonda Act, a preventive law with different provisions for varied crimes, including immoral trafficking, is used against habitual offenders. Section 2 of the Act defines immoral trafficking.