Magazine Chowk to Sai Mandir: Women scared, say sex workers openly solicit customers in residential area

A police van patrols the area

Scores of women and girls living in the area from Magazine Chowk to Sai Mandir on Alandi Road say they fear stepping out of their houses, alleging that commercial sex workers were openly soliciting customers in the area. They alleged that three of the five lodges in the area, which were frequented by the sex workers, were located close to a school and a college. “This is adversely affecting the young minds,” said local corporator Shailaja Mulick. The area from Magazine Chowk to Sai Mandir is represented by Mayor Nitin Kalje in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Varsha, a resident of the area, said despite protests and counselling sessions for the sex workers, the situation had not changed over the years. “When we protest, they stop coming for a few days and then things are back to square one,” she said. “They have even filed false complaints against the police,” she claimed. Mulick alleged that women and girls were finding it difficult to step out of their houses as they were harassed by men who come to pick up the sex workers. “It’s an embarrassing and scary situation for the women living in the area, whether it’s day time or evening,” she said.

Datta Tapkir, another resident, said the civic authorities should not have allowed the lodges to come up in a residential area. “The lodges should have been allowed away from residential areas. We want to know who approved the plan and whether this is as per the norms,” he said. Last week, when the residents for the umpteenth time submitted a memorandum to Dighi police, the police finally swung into action. “We have started patrolling the area,” said Dighi police inspector R Khaire. He added that in the past too, they had taken action but the sex workers return after sometime. “This time, we will ensure they do not return,” he said.

When contacted, Kalje said he too, like the residents, had been seeking action against the sex workers in the area. “Police have taken action against the sex workers in the past but it has been half-hearted… it should end once and for all,” he said. As for the lodges located close to a school and college, Kalje said they were set up even before he became a corporator. “I do not know the status of the lodges, whether they are legal or illegal,” he said.