‘Pune cops misuse the law to abuse sex workers’

A study carried out by a group of students from Indian Law Society’s (ILS) Law College reveals that the police were misusing Section 8 of the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act (PITA), 1956 and recommended that the section should be quashed.

Ketaki Latkar, Jasmin Latkar and Erika Noronha carried out a sample study of 100 commercial sex workers (CSWs) in the red light area of Budhwar Peth. Rubbishing the claims, the statistics available with the Pune police show that only 22 arrests were made under Section 8 in 2011, and 4 in this year so far.

The trio, who will present the paper for a competition on international women’s issues said, “Our survey took one and a half month as we had to make friends with them and conduct extensive interviews as issuing direct questionnaire was impossible.”

According to their study, 46% subjects alleged that the police arrested them under the Section even if they went out for personal work like shopping, 38% alleged that they had been either arrested or beaten up even when they just stood outside the brothel and 16% denied facing any such problems.

The students said that Section 8 of PITA should be repealed and CSWs should be rather charged under the Section 268 of Indian Penal Code, 1860, if they are found causing public nuisance.
Social security cell incharge and senior inspector Banupratap Barge said, “PITA section is meant for curbing public nuisance caused due to seduction or solicitation for prostitution effectively. We invoke it only if the case merits it.”