Two leading Telugu film actresses, who were caught in a prostitution racket busted by the Hyderabad police, Saira Banu and Jyoti were released, while seven others who were arrested along with them were sent to judicial custody.

Saira Banu and Jyoti, who played lead roles in many films, were arrested along with a woman from Uzbekistan and their customers from an apartment in the upscale Kundan Bagh neighborhood. While the actresses were released by a city court after they pleaded innocence, the remaining accused were remanded to judicial custody till September 3.

The actresses said that they were not involved in the sex racket. Jyoti claimed that she had gone to the apartment on invitation from an assistant director Chandu to discuss a film proposal. She said she was not aware that he was running a sex racket.

All the accused were taken to Panjagutta police station and from there to Nampally criminal court in Hyderabad. The police said six others, including a woman, were running the sex racket. They had agreed to pay Rs.10 lakh to Uzbek national Sabrina for 10 days.