Sex-workers move out

SURAT, May 12: What seemed like stray raids on Chakla Bazaar, the only established red light area in the state, by the Prevention of Crim...

SURAT, May 12: What seemed like stray raids on Chakla Bazaar, the only established red light area in the state, by the Prevention of Crime Branch PCB in the past few months has now developed into a full fledged drive by the police to ensure that the over 300-year old red light area ceases to exist.

In what could be an immediate fallout of the relentless raids by the PCB, commercial sex workers have now begun to branch out8217;, and are seen standing at a number of spots in the city including the area around railway station, Chowk, Athwa Lines, Ring Road, etc during the night. The police have so far arrested close to a hundred people including brothel owners, pimps, commercial sex workers and even customers.

Besides booking them under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the PCB has made liberal use of the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities PASA Act in the case of brothel owners and pimps and the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act PITA 1986 in case of sex workers.

Notorious anti-social Aquil Mohammed Yakub alias Aquil Bhadwaa who owns a large number of rooms in the red light area and hires them out for as much as Rs 50,000 a month has already been arrested and booked under PASA. Another six pimps, all Nepali women, have been arrested under PASA by the PCB. Till date, more than 50 commercial sex workers have been arrested under sections of PITA. Taken by surprise by the raids that began from mid January, a number of sex workers had migrated, giving the red-light area a deserted look.

They returned to business as usual after a short break and most brothels were seen running again withing a month of the raids. The police, however, have kept raiding the area regularly since. Most of the brothels are now locked, with the caretakers behind bars, serving sentences in various jails of the state. PCB sources, while confirming that they had been directed to ensure that prostitution at Chakla Bazaar stopped altogether, said that they were now on the lookout for Mushtaq Nanwala and others, who also owned a sizable number of rooms at the red light area. They stated that periodic raids would continue.

The PCB, justifying the raids, have said that with schools and religious places like dehrasars, mosques, temples and churches located around the red-light area, it was proving to be a nuisance. The area also attracted anti-social elements.

Legal provisions state that sex-workers cannot be arrested if they practice their trade inside their houses, but enticing clients by lewd acts and words can attract charges, PCB sources state.