9 minors among 21 sex workers rescued; cops need Bengali translator’s services to take their statements
The police employed the services of a Bengali translator after they rescued 21 commercial sex workers (CSWs), nine of them minors, from a Budhwar Peth brothel yesterday evening.
Late in the night, the translator eventually found out that the information provided by the girls had many problems. PSI Sharmila Sutar, the investigating officer, said, “It was difficult to comprehend the address given by these girls. Many of them claimed to be from Khigirpur village in Autganj district of West Bengal. But this place is not in existence.”
The brothel owners and the CSWs were later sent to the Rescue Foundation at Hadapsar.
“Medical test to know their exact age will be made after these girls will be brought before the court tomorrow,” said Sutar.
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| Saved at last: CSWs were sent to the Rescue Foundation at Hadapsar. Pics/Jignesh Mistry |
The police also arrested brothel owners Gauri Tamang and Reshma Tamang. Cases against Gauri Tamang (40) and Reshma Tamang (50) were filed under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1986 (PITA).
Filing of charges continued even after the midnight at Faraskhana police station.
Acting on tip-off from anti-immoral trafficking activist Shyam Kamble from Marian Trust, ACP Ranjeet Dhure along with police inspector Rajendra Kadam of Khadak police station, PSI Sutar and others raided the ground floor of Sagar building in Budhwar Peth, the place where the brothel functioned.
According to police sources, most of the CSWs were brought to the city from Bangladesh illegally.
Brothel keeper Gauri Tamang has been arrested before under similar charges. Of the rescued 21 sex workers, 10 of them seemed less than 16 years old.
Debi Walker, a women’s rights activist, said, “The brothel ‘madams’ had warned these girls not to approach the police. By creating horror stories about the police machinery, they wanted to prevent the girls from approaching the police station for any help.” MIDDAY http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=campaignag-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0805075097&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr
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