A division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice Mridula Bhatkar on Friday expressed surprise when they were told there were no female police officers attached to the Malad police station.
The high court has sought information from the Mumbai police commissioner about the number of policewomen in the force and details about their deputation at the city police stations.
A division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice Mridula Bhatkar on Friday expressed surprise when they were told there were no female police officers attached to the Malad police station.
The court was hearing a petition filed by 21-year-old Kavita (name changed) who alleged that she was forced into prostitution. The girl, who belongs to a poor family in Putikhali village, Bengal, said she was befriended by a Bangladeshi woman who brought her to Mumbai in 2000.
Kavita said in the petition: “The woman sold me off to one Noorjahan Shaikh in Kurla, who handed me to Rajesh Rajput, a pimp at Malwani, Malad. Rajput bought me some skimpy western clothes and I was taken to Yatri Lodge on the Malad Link Road.”
She alleged in the petition that for about 10 years, Rajput sent her to serve his clientele in various hotels and lodges in Mumbai, Kalyan, Kolhapur, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
“I was often beaten up and raped by Rajput,” said Kavita who has been shifted to a shelter home. She had alleged that Malad police were not taking any action despite repetitive complaints.
When the judges heard the case in their chamber on Friday, they inquired the officers about the number of female cops attached to the Malad police station.
“The court has now asked the commissioner of police to give information about how many police stations in Mumbai do not have female officers,” said Anand Jondhale, Kavita’s lawyer.
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