Mumbai sex workers outnumber cops in bid to flee

In a recent incident, a group of 21 commercial sex workers (CSWs), who were being escorted by the Dahisar police for a medical check-up, tried to escape from police custody by jumping off the vehicle.

While 20 were nabbed by a team of two men and two women constables, one managed to escape.

A high-level departmental enquiry has been initiated to look into the incident, police sources said.

However, they added that the episode was inevitable. Given the size of the group under custody, at least seven women police constables should have been present. But, despite a request for the same, higher authorities allotted only two women constables for the duty. In addition, the two male constables who were present were helpless since they are not allowed to arrest women.

The CSWs were held last month during a raid at a chawl near the Dahisar check-naka. Most of them hail from the Indo-Bangladesh border and at least six are suspected to be minors. The minors’ age verification had to be conducted more than once at different hospitals, since the child welfare committee suspected that the girls were above 18 years old. This resulted in frequent trips to the hospital with insufficient manpower and even shortage of vehicles at times.

A source said, “For many days, the CSWs were driven around in open trucks, thereby posing great risk.” This too was brought to the notice of the seniors, but no action was taken, the sources added.