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Journalism of Courage
DECEMBER 21: Already-strained, the relations between policemen from the V P Road police station and commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Khetwadi have taken a turn for the worse as officials savagely assaulted two of them and verbally abused five more in the space of a week.
A 23-year-old CSW was first beaten by a constable on December 14. After days of tension, an uneasy truce was engineered between the cops and CSWs in the area through NGO Apne Aap Women’s Collective Centre on December 20. Assistant Inspector Suresh Parab regretted the incident and assured that it would not recur. However, the constables on patrol, miffed at complaints made by the CSWs, went back that night and roughed up some more CSWs.
In the first incident, the girl says she was sitting outside her kholi on December 14 at 12.30 pm when Police Constable Ganesh Balu Kate (buckle no 29055) ordered her to go in and shut the door. When she demanded to know why he was picking on her alone, he beat her, leaving wounds on her feet and abdomen.
On December 15, she claims, she was summoned by officers at the V P Road police station who requested her to consider the issue carefully. They offered her money to cover the medical expenses which she flatly refused.
The tip of an ice-berg, the incident highlights the numerous allegations made by sex workers about policemen who patrol the area. There are constant complaints against Police Constable Suresh Govindrao More (buckle number 28392) whom they refer to as `More Mama’. More, they say, regularly takes hafta and obstructs them during business hours. Further, they allege, that he beats up their customers and takes away their money. “If the police do this, how will we earn and pay them their hafta?” ask the prostitutes. They also complain that police have stood outside their room doors, preventing them from opening their doors till midnight.
At the meeting between 150 gharwalis, prostitutes and the police, Assistant Police Inspector Parab told the crowd that though prostitution is legal, soliciting by prostitution is illegal. He added that brothels are illegal as living on the woman’s income is illegal. He did not deny that individual prostitution is illegal.
Late on December 20, Constable More, peeved by the allegationss, arrived at their kholis and demanded to know which prostitute had complained about him, threatening them with dire consequences. Angered by his threats, the prostitutes launched into a verbal attack, abusing him till he hit one of them. Further sparring, led to him leaving them alone.
After the first incident, Assistant Commissioner of Police B Chughule told Newsline, “I have summoned the constables and after detailed inquiry a decision will be taken. But I can assure you that we are not interested in any vindictive decision.” Confirming this, Senior Police Inspector Vinod Sharma says that he was enquiring into the incident and will take action which is in the favour of both the poilice and the public.
Apne Aap Women’s Collective is an organisation which aims at benifitting these CSWs. Their basic aim is to allow the CSWs to live a life of dignity and create an awareness of the basic and fundamental rights of the citizen. Vice-president Reeva Buddhiraja said, “We are here to educate them and create an awareness among them. Things cannot go the way they have to been going. We realise we cannot stop the proffession but we can surely bring about the change in the system whcich we believe is a slow but sure process.”
