Police sting ends career of prostitution kingpin
29 May 2008, 0553 hrs IST,TNN
CHENNAI: The anti-vice squad (AVS), a wing of the city police, has arrested Mohan alias Mohan Reddy (43), the kingpin of a prostitution racket operating out of Valasaravakkam and Virugambakkam in the city. Reddy, whose illegal network stretched across the four southern states, was caught in a sting operation at Koyambedu when he supplied a woman to a police decoy. According to sources, Reddy, a film distributor, engaged thousands of woman — some of them film actresses and junior artists — and ran brothels in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The AVS team also rescued two AP woman and seized an Indica car (TN 01 V 1643), a Bajaj motorbike (TN 10 M 4210) and a few high-end mobile phones from Reddy. "He had been supplying actresses and young women to VIPs for over five years. There are many prostitution cases pending against him, including two with the AVS. He was absconding for some time and we caught him using a decoy on Tuesday," AVS inspector Udhayakumar told TOI. Udhayakumar said Reddy even used his own house on Ist Main Road in Alwar Tiru Nagar as a brothel. Reddy charged between Rs 5,000 and a few lakh rupees for the woman he supplied, sources said. "He mostly brought woman from Andhra Pradesh. He has distributed films and has close connections with both Tollywood and Kollywood. We have information regarding his connection with many actresses," the AVS inspector said. After the arrest of the pimp Kannada Prasad in Feb, 2007, Mohan Reddy was the second big target of the AVS. "Reddy is also a high-end pimp, who used all sorts of methods to lure woman into prostitution. Both men had good connection with the film world and supplied actresses to preferred customers. Both were able to supply woman in any southern state by just making a few phone calls," another police official said. The police is now tracking Reddy's network of brothels. The pimp was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
SP stresses economic independence of women
Date:25/07/2008
Kadapa SP stresses economic independence of women
KADAPA: Women, irrespective of their religion and caste, can lead lives with confidence and earn respect when they become economically self-reliant, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat said on Thursday.
Speaking at an awareness programme on ‘Save the girl child’ at 30 Andhra Battalion NCC campus here, the SP said it was an offence to perform amniocentesis test to determine the gender of a foetus.
KADAPA: Women, irrespective of their religion and caste, can lead lives with confidence and earn respect when they become economically self-reliant, Kadapa Superintendent of Police Mahesh M. Bhagwat said on Thursday.
Speaking at an awareness programme on ‘Save the girl child’ at 30 Andhra Battalion NCC campus here, the SP said it was an offence to perform amniocentesis test to determine the gender of a foetus.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Girls sold as helps for Rs 2,000 in capital, one held
Girls sold as helps for Rs 2,000 in capital, one held
23 Jul 2008, 0303 hrs IST, Medha Chaturvedi,TNN
NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was arrested by the IP Estate police on charges of trafficking young girls from tribal areas of Jharkhand to Delhi, luring them with promises of well-paying jobs. Accused Bhim reportedly supplied girls to a placement agency dealing in domestic helps in Shakurpur where he sold them for as little as Rs 2000. The agency, Birsa Bhagwan Tribal Society of India, registered under the Societies Act as an NGO, doubled as a placement agency and was allegedly involved in trafficking girls from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. The racket came to light when the mother of one of the girls Bhim had taken, a 10-year-old from a village in Jharkhand, never heard from her daughter after sending her to Delhi to work three years ago. The girl's mother approached Bachpan Bachao Aayog, which put her through to CWC which initiated the process of tracing the girl. "When we saw that police in Ranchi were not taking any action on our complaint, we followed Bhim to Delhi when he came to pick up another girl. We reached the Shakurpur placement agency and found that on the ground floor, they were running an NGO and the first floor was an apartment turned into a placement agency. We found several young girls there who had been promised jobs, but where they actually ended up, nobody knew. There were no proper records of the girls either," said Naresh Sengar, national secretary, Bachpan Bachao Aayog. He added that the 10-year-old girl they were looking for could not be traced in the records. "We had seven other women who had come with us to look for their respective children. All returned empty-handed," said Sengar. According to a police official, Bhim was arrested and charged with trafficking minors and abduction. He revealed the name of his accomplice, one Munni, who was now absconding. The owner of the placement agency and his brother were also arrested. Sengar alleged that the children were traded and trafficked like commodities and the "current rates" were around Rs 4,000 per child. "They are promised salaries of Rs 10,000 a month as lures. But the children end up either in the flesh trade or as domestic helps at salaries as low as Rs 1,200 a month. They are not paid for months on end, so that they don't leave. CWC helped us nab the criminals and thus we were able to rescue the children. However, search for the other children are still on," said Sengar.
23 Jul 2008, 0303 hrs IST, Medha Chaturvedi,TNN
NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was arrested by the IP Estate police on charges of trafficking young girls from tribal areas of Jharkhand to Delhi, luring them with promises of well-paying jobs. Accused Bhim reportedly supplied girls to a placement agency dealing in domestic helps in Shakurpur where he sold them for as little as Rs 2000. The agency, Birsa Bhagwan Tribal Society of India, registered under the Societies Act as an NGO, doubled as a placement agency and was allegedly involved in trafficking girls from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. The racket came to light when the mother of one of the girls Bhim had taken, a 10-year-old from a village in Jharkhand, never heard from her daughter after sending her to Delhi to work three years ago. The girl's mother approached Bachpan Bachao Aayog, which put her through to CWC which initiated the process of tracing the girl. "When we saw that police in Ranchi were not taking any action on our complaint, we followed Bhim to Delhi when he came to pick up another girl. We reached the Shakurpur placement agency and found that on the ground floor, they were running an NGO and the first floor was an apartment turned into a placement agency. We found several young girls there who had been promised jobs, but where they actually ended up, nobody knew. There were no proper records of the girls either," said Naresh Sengar, national secretary, Bachpan Bachao Aayog. He added that the 10-year-old girl they were looking for could not be traced in the records. "We had seven other women who had come with us to look for their respective children. All returned empty-handed," said Sengar. According to a police official, Bhim was arrested and charged with trafficking minors and abduction. He revealed the name of his accomplice, one Munni, who was now absconding. The owner of the placement agency and his brother were also arrested. Sengar alleged that the children were traded and trafficked like commodities and the "current rates" were around Rs 4,000 per child. "They are promised salaries of Rs 10,000 a month as lures. But the children end up either in the flesh trade or as domestic helps at salaries as low as Rs 1,200 a month. They are not paid for months on end, so that they don't leave. CWC helped us nab the criminals and thus we were able to rescue the children. However, search for the other children are still on," said Sengar.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
The Times of India -Breaking news, views. reviews, cricket from across India
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
21 Jul 2008, 0204 hrs IST, Abantika Ghosh,TNN
These are shocking statistics that belie the close to 10% growth rate of the national economy and tell the story of a community that isn't. As per the law.
More than 41% women sex workers in the Capital's GB Road enter the profession because of sheer poverty, 39% of their own free will. Only 50% use condoms and the social welfare department says despite their best efforts health and hygiene standards cannot be improved too much beyond the occasional anonymous checks by mobile vans as the law does not recognise the existence of these women.
All the anti-trafficking laws notwithstanding, almost the entire population of GB Road comprises women, who have come from other states, Andhra Pradesh topping the list with 28.7% sex workers hailing from that state. These are the findings of a first-of-its-kind survey of Delhi's sex workers done by the Delhi Commission for Women.
The study - 400 commercial sex workers from G B Road were studied and inputs were also taken from the rescued women in government homes even if their numbers were not included in the sample size - aimed at a need assessment of Delhi's sex workers and their children and also to draw up a demographic and health profile of the neglected community in order to draw up a comprehensive policy for prevention of trafficking and incidence of HIV-AIDS.
The study found that the work is mainly conducted through the kotha malkins who pockets a large percentage of the income so that for an average sex worker the monthly income is quite low, 72.5% earn between Rs 3,000-5,000 and 20.7% earn more than Rs 5,000.
State social welfare minister Yoganand Shastri said: "The study which is the first of its kind, will help us get a perspective on the extent of the problem and formulate policies accordingly. But there are inherent dichotomies in the system that make things difficult.
For one, it is only when a woman rescued and taken to Nirmal Chhaya that we can really help them because the law does not recognise the profession at all. We do undertake surreptitious checks with the MITWA mobile vans, but that does not always suffice."
Commenting about the low condom usage and dismal awareness about STDs (less than 50% know about them and 46.5% are infected), Shastri said: "The Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) had put up condom vending machines in all major houses in the area and they are kept well-supplied. Unless the legal constraints go there is not much more that we can do about it."
A whopping 57.5% of respondents admitted to substance abuse with smoking being the most popular one, followed by alcohol, heroin and marijuana. 23.7% complained of exploitation, 54.4% of them held the police responsible.
Interestingly, more than 85% of these women have some sort of identity proof like ration card, voter I-card or even passport which they procure with help from cops. While more than 60% of women surveyed have children, only 40% of them go to school, a figure that commission officials say bodes ill for the objective of preventing second generation entry into the profession
The Times of India -Breaking news, views. reviews, cricket from across India
Grim reality: A survey of sex workers
21 Jul 2008, 0204 hrs IST, Abantika Ghosh,TNN
These are shocking statistics that belie the close to 10% growth rate of the national economy and tell the story of a community that isn't. As per the law.
More than 41% women sex workers in the Capital's GB Road enter the profession because of sheer poverty, 39% of their own free will. Only 50% use condoms and the social welfare department says despite their best efforts health and hygiene standards cannot be improved too much beyond the occasional anonymous checks by mobile vans as the law does not recognise the existence of these women.
All the anti-trafficking laws notwithstanding, almost the entire population of GB Road comprises women, who have come from other states, Andhra Pradesh topping the list with 28.7% sex workers hailing from that state. These are the findings of a first-of-its-kind survey of Delhi's sex workers done by the Delhi Commission for Women.
The study - 400 commercial sex workers from G B Road were studied and inputs were also taken from the rescued women in government homes even if their numbers were not included in the sample size - aimed at a need assessment of Delhi's sex workers and their children and also to draw up a demographic and health profile of the neglected community in order to draw up a comprehensive policy for prevention of trafficking and incidence of HIV-AIDS.
The study found that the work is mainly conducted through the kotha malkins who pockets a large percentage of the income so that for an average sex worker the monthly income is quite low, 72.5% earn between Rs 3,000-5,000 and 20.7% earn more than Rs 5,000.
State social welfare minister Yoganand Shastri said: "The study which is the first of its kind, will help us get a perspective on the extent of the problem and formulate policies accordingly. But there are inherent dichotomies in the system that make things difficult.
For one, it is only when a woman rescued and taken to Nirmal Chhaya that we can really help them because the law does not recognise the profession at all. We do undertake surreptitious checks with the MITWA mobile vans, but that does not always suffice."
Commenting about the low condom usage and dismal awareness about STDs (less than 50% know about them and 46.5% are infected), Shastri said: "The Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) had put up condom vending machines in all major houses in the area and they are kept well-supplied. Unless the legal constraints go there is not much more that we can do about it."
A whopping 57.5% of respondents admitted to substance abuse with smoking being the most popular one, followed by alcohol, heroin and marijuana. 23.7% complained of exploitation, 54.4% of them held the police responsible.
Interestingly, more than 85% of these women have some sort of identity proof like ration card, voter I-card or even passport which they procure with help from cops. While more than 60% of women surveyed have children, only 40% of them go to school, a figure that commission officials say bodes ill for the objective of preventing second generation entry into the profession
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Flesh Trade industry Flourishes- watch Video
India's national commission for women or NCW has expressed concern over rise in women trafficking in Siliguri, as unscrupulous agents trap women promising them jobs. Driven by poverty, the lure of job and better wages is too tempting to resist. But most women end up in brothels and become victims of...
Follow the link
Follow the link
'India must criminalise buying of sex, anti-trafficking laws'
Dharam Shourie, Press Trust Of India
New York, June 03, 2008
India should criminalise buying of sex and strengthen its anti-trafficking laws, a global rights watchdog has said.
In a statement issued on the eve of UN General Assembly debate on steps needed to stop trafficking, Equality Now on Monday urged Indian government to take steps for early passage of amendments to the 1956 Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), which would involve a crackdown on buyers of sex.
The desired changes, it stressed, would be a positive step in stopping trafficking in women and children.
The organisation regretted that the amendments, which recognised sexual exploitation as inherent in prostitution, were "languishing for two years with no end in sight," mostly because of ill-advised resistance from HIV/AIDS lobby.
The amendments, it said, would decriminalise women in prostitution but criminalise the "real and often invisible perpetrators" the buyers of prostitution, pimps and brothel owners.
The HIV/AIDS lobby mistakenly believed that targeting demand would curtail use of condom to prevent the spread of the disease, it said.
"The grim reality, however, is that women in prostitution are often unable to negotiate condom use and are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. As one Indian woman named Beenu, who is in prostitution says, 'Few people agree to use a condom. And if they don't, I cannot force them.'"
The most effective way to protect women like Beenu would be by curtailing the commercial sex industry, Equality Now stressed.
Referring to UN debate, the organisation warned that too much had been said about trafficking and much-needed money was spent in talking about it. However, little else had been done to end the scourge.
"Extensive rhetoric has been generated by UN conferences like the Vienna Forum (earlier this year) and standards have already been set in international treaties like the UN Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, adopted in 2000.
"But what is lacking is the political will to curb the multi-billion dollar industry," it added and called on the States to make specific commitments, enact strong laws and support grassroots anti-trafficking groups.
The global body argued sex trafficking disproportionately affected women and girls who constitute 80 per cent of the victims.
A majority of them are trafficked into the commercial sex trade.
The demand for prostitution, it said, is the driving force for the trafficking of women and girls for sexual purposes.
Prostitution preys on the most vulnerable women and children who are poor, of colour, from "lower" castes, and/or immigrants, it emphasised.
Instead of controlling prostitution, legalisation has led to a "disastrous outbreak of increased exploitation of women in the sex trade, sex trafficking and other related crimes," Taina Bien-Aim Executive Director of Equality Now said.
"In fact the German government and the Mayor of Amsterdam (where prostitution is legal) on separate occasions noted that their prostitution laws have not been effective in boosting transparency in brothels. Amsterdam is now working to shut down a third of its brothels," the organisation said
New York, June 03, 2008
India should criminalise buying of sex and strengthen its anti-trafficking laws, a global rights watchdog has said.
In a statement issued on the eve of UN General Assembly debate on steps needed to stop trafficking, Equality Now on Monday urged Indian government to take steps for early passage of amendments to the 1956 Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), which would involve a crackdown on buyers of sex.
The desired changes, it stressed, would be a positive step in stopping trafficking in women and children.
The organisation regretted that the amendments, which recognised sexual exploitation as inherent in prostitution, were "languishing for two years with no end in sight," mostly because of ill-advised resistance from HIV/AIDS lobby.
The amendments, it said, would decriminalise women in prostitution but criminalise the "real and often invisible perpetrators" the buyers of prostitution, pimps and brothel owners.
The HIV/AIDS lobby mistakenly believed that targeting demand would curtail use of condom to prevent the spread of the disease, it said.
"The grim reality, however, is that women in prostitution are often unable to negotiate condom use and are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. As one Indian woman named Beenu, who is in prostitution says, 'Few people agree to use a condom. And if they don't, I cannot force them.'"
The most effective way to protect women like Beenu would be by curtailing the commercial sex industry, Equality Now stressed.
Referring to UN debate, the organisation warned that too much had been said about trafficking and much-needed money was spent in talking about it. However, little else had been done to end the scourge.
"Extensive rhetoric has been generated by UN conferences like the Vienna Forum (earlier this year) and standards have already been set in international treaties like the UN Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, adopted in 2000.
"But what is lacking is the political will to curb the multi-billion dollar industry," it added and called on the States to make specific commitments, enact strong laws and support grassroots anti-trafficking groups.
The global body argued sex trafficking disproportionately affected women and girls who constitute 80 per cent of the victims.
A majority of them are trafficked into the commercial sex trade.
The demand for prostitution, it said, is the driving force for the trafficking of women and girls for sexual purposes.
Prostitution preys on the most vulnerable women and children who are poor, of colour, from "lower" castes, and/or immigrants, it emphasised.
Instead of controlling prostitution, legalisation has led to a "disastrous outbreak of increased exploitation of women in the sex trade, sex trafficking and other related crimes," Taina Bien-Aim Executive Director of Equality Now said.
"In fact the German government and the Mayor of Amsterdam (where prostitution is legal) on separate occasions noted that their prostitution laws have not been effective in boosting transparency in brothels. Amsterdam is now working to shut down a third of its brothels," the organisation said
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)