CHITAN J. VASWANI & ANR. vs STATE OF WEST BENGAL & ANR.

The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the appellants under Section 3(1) and Section 7(2)(a) of the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act, 1956, for managing a brothel and permitting prostitution in their bar. The Court clarified that a Magistrate has the authority to order eviction under Section 18(1) following a conviction under Section 3 or Section 7, regardless of the distance from specified public institutions. The ruling emphasized that the purpose of Section 18(2) is to facilitate the eviction of occupiers to effectively combat prostitution, thus reinforcing the legislative intent to suppress immoral traffic.