Landlords escape Sex racket busts

Landlords escape Sex racket busts

Deccan Chronicle, 13^th Jan 2011.

AMY ROSE THOMAS

DECCAN CHRONICLE

When a sex racket is busted by the police, it is only the prostitutes, pimps and customers who are booked, while the owners of the premises are usually let off. This is regardless of the fact that Section 18 Clause 1 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act states that landlords too should be punished.

As many as 160 cases have been registered under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act over the last four years and in most cases, house owners have claimed that they had no clue what was going on in their premises and have escaped punishment.

A few months back the police raided different parts of the city including flats in S.R. Nagar, Panjagutta, Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills. About 20 apartments were found to be functioning as brothels.

However, only in three cases were the house owners convicted and notices of seizure issued.
The owners were let off in all the other cases. "In these cases, it was proved that the owners were explicitly involved in the crime," says IPS Umapathy.

Recently the police had raided the Delhi Lodge at Patny Centre and caught the proprietor, six auto drivers and had rescued 16 sex workers. B.Srinivasa Yadav (46), had been running the lodge on lease. Since the lodge's income was meagre, he had devised a plan to earn money. He used to allow sex workers along with their customers to use his premises and would charge hefty amounts on an hourly basis, said the police. On Thursday, the Central Zone Task Force police arrested Atluri Ramesh and Atluri Prasad, along with two sex workers. The accused had rented a flat at Saifabad for Rs 17,000 per month. The duo started earning Rs 5,000 to 10,000 per day. In none of the above cases were the house owners punished.

The apartments are, however, rented out for prostitution at double the price "The prices vary.
For instance, house owners in Ameerpet charge up to Rs 20,000 from brothel organisers and only around Rs 7,000 from normal tenants. In most cases, police officials fail to mention the owners in the FIR. Thus, they are not brought under the law. If the police officials pay heed to the Act, landlords, if at all they are unaware, would be more careful and make sure that such activities do not occur under the roof of their apartments," said Rammohan, in-charge of HELP NGO.

Mahesh Bhagwat, DIG of Eluru Range, who has been instrumental in nailing many landlords who were hand-in-glove with brothel organisers, says the main problem lies in the lack of awareness of rules. "Sometimes, the police officials themselves do not know about the existence of such a clause in the Act. This is the reason why landlords are not mentioned in the report," he adds.

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identified a missing girl

Police identified a missing girl – Hands over to HELP home

A 15 years old girl is found to police at Chilakaluripet of Guntur district. After taking her to police station, the police informed to HELP and requested to keep in HELP home for counseling, care and protection services.

According to the statement of the girl, her name is SK.Reshma belongs to Bapuji Street, Nellore. She is an orphan who lost her parents at the age of her 3^rd year. She is having an elder brother named as Ramana aged 28 years old who is working as lorry driver. He used to travel most of the days in a month and comes to home very rare. She is not willing to stay at home as there is no protection for her.

After some time she wanted to see her aunt at Vijayawada and started from Nellore on 13^th evening of this month. She has ascended in a truck as some of the passengers also there in the same truck. On the middle of the way rest of the passengers got down as they reached their destination. Only the girl remained in the truck along with the driver. When the vehicle nearer to reach Chilakaluripet at midnight the driver stopped the truck beside the road around 12 pm and attempted to rape her. The girl shouted loudly, jumped down the vehicle and ran away to some extent. The driver already drags her money purse and escaped from there. The girl remained on the road alone when the police came for night patrolling. They asked her whereabouts and brought her to police station. The police informed to HELP staff on 14^th morning i.e. Sunday about the girl. The Guntur district staff approached police and interacted with the girl. She is not willing to get back to home and hence the police requested to provide care and protection services to the girl by keeping her in HELP home.

HELP staff brought the girl to HELP home and providing her counseling, care and protection services. HELP is putting its efforts to interact with Nellore police and is planning to conduct home investigation.

Trafficked girl reached HELP home

Trafficked girl reached HELP home

A 17 years old girl along with 4 other girls sold at Delhi by Gudivada traffickers. She however escaped from there and found at Vijayawada bus station. Finally the girl reached HELP home through Tv9 staff on 11th nov 10.

HELP collected the information from the girl that, the girl edla amma kondlu @ swathi is the native of Uppalapadu village, Chebrolu mandal of West Godavari District. She is working as a domestic servant at Tadepalligudem. Her parents are agricultural labor. She fell in love with a boy. The boy with the help of two more women sold the girl at Delhi along with 4 other girls who belongs to Vizag district. After some time these girls came to realize entire situation. However they escaped from Delhi and reached Vijayawada. Rest of the girls except “Swathi“left away to their places. This girl sat alone and found to a stranger when somebody at bus station teasing her. The stranger informed to media person (Tv9) when she is in dilemma at Vijayawada bus station. TV9 staff taken away the girl to their office and handover to HELP Krishna dist staff for protection and enquire about whereabouts.

After getting her to HELP home, staff informed and enquired with West Godavari police officials. They revealed that a missing case has been booked as complained by her parents 3 months ago at Tadepalligudem police station and the police are in search. Police from Tadepalligudem came to HELP home for confirmation of the case and received statement from the girl.

Now the girl is in HELP home at Machavaram. Moreover the girl is carrying third month. HELP is providing counseling services and basic needs to the girl. HELP staff is going to conduct home investigation at girl’s native village as a part of further proceedings.

Rescued a victim - Referred to HELP home

Rescued a victim - Referred to HELP home

Police conducted a rescue operation on a brothel house with the information of HELP staff on 13/11/10 at Annavarappadu colony of Ongole, Prakasam district and arrested a trafficker and a customer. The Victim aged 21 years is the native of Mulpur village of Guntur District.

Trafficker Anjibabu brought one minor girls and one women from Mulpur and surrounding villages with a pretext of good job with more money and hence the victim accompanied with trafficker to Ongole. He coarsely drags her in to prostitution. We informed to the police whole issue and joined police for rescue operation. During the operation the minor girl escaped from the brothel house. Now the police in search for minor girl.

The victim’s husband was died. Since then she go to daily wages for meager money. She has two children aged 9 and 6 years. She is the member of a Self Help Group. When she was in want of money, the trafficker found her and assured his assistance in the form of a good job and more money. She believed him accompanied to Ongole.

Police registered a case U/sec. 3,4,5,6 & 8 of ITP Act - 1956 at Ongole - II town police station and filed FIR No.126/10. Police produced before Hon’ble Special Mobile court. The magistrate referred the victim to HELP home.

Now the victim is at HELP transit home and is getting counseling and basic needs.

Police constable run a brothel house – rescued a victim

Police constable run a brothel house – rescued a victim

An AR constable has been arrested by the Ongole taluk police in trafficking case at Samatha nagar-Ongole. By the information about prostitution is run by the AR constable through M.Mani. this information received by HELP team, the police raided on the brothel house on 2^nd early hours rescued one girl age bellow 20 years from Vijayawada and arrested G.Susmita of Elur, B.Raju – customer of Chimakurthi along with AR constable and Mani.

Susmitha is trapping the girls from various places and supplying them to brothel houses on contract basis. As a part of this a victim xxx is trapped by Susmita from Vijayawada and brought to Ongole, sold to Mani.

The case is filed under ITP Act sec. 3, 4 and 5. And produced before the court. The honorable court handover the girl to HELP transit center for counseling and rehabilitation.

Government lets down sex workers

Rescued prostitutes left stranded by authorities who delay monetary aid for years

MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF THE GIRLS NEVER RECEIVE THE AID

Amy Rose Thomas

Deccan Chronicle

26^th Oct 2010

Giving hope and then breaking promises can be the greatest betrayal and it is even crueler when lives depend entirely on these promises. In this case, rescued sex workers have been waiting in vain for the government to make good their promise of rehabilitation funds.

Orders Ms No 1 and 13 state that the government must provide the rescued women with an immediate relief package within the period of one week. This package, the value of which is Rs 10,000 is to pay for medical and travel expenses. In addition to this, a further rehabilitation funding of Rs 25,000 has also been allocated.

But the packages are usually delayed and many either never receive the funds or get them as late as three to four years after their rescue. Banuja who works at the Reds NGO in Anantapur says, "Eighty girls were rescued from Anantapur in 2007.

According to the government order, rehabilitation package and immediate relief package were to be given to them. Immediate relief package must reach the rescued girl within a week. Yet among the 80 girls who applied for it in 2007, 62 girls received the immediate relief fund in 2009 and another 18 got it in 2010. The remaining 15 died of AIDS before they could receive the money."

One of the rescued girls, 20-year-old Sridevi (name changed on request) elaborates on how the failure to receive the funds impacts her life, "For me money is everything. It is the dearth of it that pushed me to sell my body. The government has not been able to help.

My father died when I was 6 and my mother too died soon after. My younger sister and I stayed with my aunt. I felt we were a burden to her and that is why I decided to enter this profession. In 2007, the police caught me and sent me to a rescue home. They treated me well and I learnt embroidery work. I moved out because I wanted to live with my sister. But because I haven't received a single penny from the government I have started to live with my aunt again. I wish I could make use of the training I received but I am waiting for the money to arrive so that I can start a small business."

More than 90 per cent of the girls never receive the aid. "In the three districts Anantapur, Chittoor and Kadappa, there were 220 people who were rescued in 2007. But till now only a negligible few have been provided with the rehabilitation package," Banuja says. Whatever investment the government makes in the girls' training goes in vain as women are not provided with money to start an establishment. There's a high risk of the girl returning to prostitution .

"I have been trained in baking but it is of no use as I am working at a cotton mill to support my family.

My mother, younger sister and brother all depend upon me.
I was rescued in 2007 but haven't received any money. I am desperately waiting for it," says 19year-old Amrita (name changed on request).

When asked, the acting Director of AP Women's Co-operative Finance Corporation, D.Venkateswarlu says, "I have been in charge of the department for only a month. I am unaware of the repercussions. I will surely look into the matter and make sure that the girls receive the money at the earliest. It is sad that many died and couldn't receive the money."

Rescued a West Bengal minor girl at Hyderabad

Rescued a West Bengal minor girl at Hyderabad

HELP received a mail on 12^th of oct 2010 at 3.58pm from Ms.Nisha & Sayan, Grope developpment , Kolkatta regarding the missing girl from west Bengal and requested to rescue her. Immediately HELP initiated efforts and rescued the girl on next day ie., 13^th Oct through one of network members who are working in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.

A minor girl aged 17 years old of Maghpala village of Coochbehar District, West Bengal trafficked by Susanta Mondal on 14^th august 2010. Family members of the Girl put a missing case in a local police station on 21^st August 2010.

Family members of the girl got a phone call by the girl and came to realized that the girl had trafficked to Hyderabad and getting pressure by the perpetrator to do prostitution and hence she requested to save her immediately. The local NGO named..SPAR which is working on prevention of trafficking approached HELP through Grouppe Development and informed where about of issue.

Based on the phone number received from the girl, HELP informed to network partner Mr. Chandra from CARPED organization, Hyderabad city. They immediately reacted on the issue and personally involved in the rescue operation with the support of police and succeeded in rescuing the girl on next day itself (13^th ) and arrested the perpetrator.

We say thanks to Mr. Chandra and his team members for their efforts and cooperation. This is an obvious example and evidence for the need of a strong and effective network with NGOs in demand and source areas irrespective of their work on trafficking issue.

Groupe develppment is vigorously moving ahead with its efforts to build linkages in between source and destination organization so as to fortify the rescue mechanisms. As a part of these efforts a strong network has been built and this issue is the clear evidence. This network resulted in rapid rescue operation and success.

Hope the coordination will continue for ever and bring best results to rescue more girls in future…..

Pavan S

Network coordinator

HELP & NATSAP