The Hindu : Stop registration of sex workers, NCW tells Maharashtra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 08, 2003

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Stop registration of sex workers, NCW tells Maharashtra

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 7. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the Maharashtra Government to stop the ``registration of professional sex workers'' in the State, make checking at the entry and exit points in Mumbai more stringent and recommended strict action against policemen who were callous towards checking the flourishing sex trade in the city.

The NCW chairperson, Poornima Advani, told reporters here today that it was unfortunate that the professional ``sex workers'' in Mumbai were virtually ``licensed'' by the police, and they maintained a register giving details about these women, including their photographs.

These issues were taken up by Ms. Advani during her meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra yesterday. During her visit to Mumbai, Ms. Advani, along with the chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Welfare Board, had made a surprise visit to a ``red-light area'' on DB Marg in Girgaum where she found several minor girls engaged in the profession.

``These girls come from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, but very few from Maharashtra. It is a massive racket involving pimps, house owners, brothel-owners and even customers,'' she said.

Ms. Advani had visited a multi-storeyed building in Girgaum area of South Mumbai where the women informed her that they were ``registered'' with the police and were hence immune to prosecution. Many of the women live with their minor children.

``The landlords have filed writs in the court for evacuation, which is more to protect themselves from police action because the cases are never pursued and even the attitude of the police seemed callous,'' she said adding that the policemen who were called to the spot made it clear that the women and the ``customers'' would be challenged under the Mumbai Police Act and then let off.

However, a meeting with the Chief Secretary and other senior officials of Maharashtra led to the arrest of 100 ``customers'' and 34 pimps and brothel-owners under the Indian Penal Code because living on the earnings from prostitution is an offence. The offenders have been charged with kidnapping and rape under the I.P.C.

Ms. Advani said that out of the 25 girls taken to a hospital for age verification, as many as three were minors. ``However, the process for age verification often shows variations and we have now written to the Dean of the hospital to reveal to us the process applied in age verification,'' she said.

``We have also demanded speedy and accurate detection of minors involved in the trade, rehabilitation of minor girls who are forced into the profession and improvement in the condition of short-stay homes which are so badly maintained that the girls prefer brothels,'' she pointed out.

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