The Telangana High Court has ruled that a person cannot be prosecuted under trafficking laws merely for being present in or around a brothel.The court clarified that prosecution under Section 370A(2) of the Indian Penal Code is possible only when there is evidence that a person engaged a trafficked sex worker and knew or had reason to believe that she was a victim of human trafficking. High Court explains scope of trafficking law The ruling was delivered by a division bench of Justices K. Lakshman and B. R. Madhusudhan Rao while hearing more than 120 criminal petitions filed by students, businesspersons and private employees named in prostitution-related cases across Telangana. The court observed that the purpose of Section 370A(2) is to punish the exploitation of trafficked persons and not to automatically treat every customer as a trafficker. The bench held that a customer cannot be labelled a trafficker merely for seeking sexual services. However, if evidence shows that the person knowingly engaged a trafficked victim, prosecution under Section 370A(2) can proceed. The ruling provides important clarity on the application of human trafficking laws and the circumstances under which customers can be held criminally liable.