Members of a group working to rescue under-aged sex workers, a group with local and international credibility built over years of action, is now hiding from police, after leading a raid that rescued over 17 under-aged girls from a prostitution ring. What happened?

On October 27th, Ajeet, along with other members of Guria was assisting a rescue of underaged girls from a red-light area of Varanasi.

Tribune, Chandigarh , reports that SSP Navneet Sikeria has charged Ajeet and other members of molestation, loot and destruction of property based on report by one of the rescued girls and supposed video evidence. 31 women, 17 of them under age, were rescued and are now in Nari Niketan.

The same newspaper presenting Ajeet’s version says that they had information that girls had been brought to Shivdaspur from Bihar and Bengal. Ajeet had spoken with the SSP who had promised support to the raid. However, when no support came and the pimps began to move the girls, the group raided.

The police did come later and was openly supportive of the pimps, taking no action against them or the brothel owners. Eventually, the rescue group filed an FIR under the focus of media cameras and then got the girls out of the area.

Later, the police filed an FIR against the rescue group for molestation, robbery and abduction. Ajeet and other members of the group are hiding, fearing victimization of the police. Calls to the office of the SSP, Navneet Sikeria has met with a cold response. Alok Sinha, Home Secretary, UP has been more polite but hardly any more responsive.

It is important to recognize the interests of the people involved to estimate what has really happened.

The brothel owners and pimps have much at stake and make up a large and powerful industry – even more in a large city like Varanasi. Their stakes in hampering such rescue missions is huge. While the relationship between the police and these forces can be speculated, it is in fact amazing that the brothel owners and pimps have not been charged or arrested. Irrespective of whether Ajeet and the rest of the rescue group who are guilt or not, why have the brothel owners and pimps not been arrested under prostitution, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, Child Labour Act, Bonded Labour Act, Indecent Representation of Women [Prohibition] Act and the Juvenile Justice Act? Based on this action of SSP Sikeria and the police, it is imperative to ask what motivated the police to act as it did?

Given Ajeet’s work and the credibility that Guria has had, such fame is quite unnecessary for them. In addition, if their intent was indeed molestation, the group would not have invited media channels to overlook the rescue.

Ajeet, who is still in hiding, however is quite optimistic. For one, he notes, that civil society has been active in supporting this case and students from BHU have been active in the rescue. Since the raid support from civic society has grown. He points out that police has since been active in conducting raids in these areas and rescuing women owing to intense public pressure that has come about. Other student groups from Delhi have also come out in support of his work.

Numerous other groups, including Asian Human Rights Commission and Vibha have put together a petition demanding that the police stop victimizing Ajeet, Guria and members of the rescue group for their work in getting these girls out of this oppressive circle.

Calling SSP Sikeria, (91 98 3950 4898), District Magistrate Gokaran (91 54 2250 8585), Director General of Police Yashpal Singh (91 52 2220 6104) and Justice A. S. Anand, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India (91 11 2307 4448) to demand the end to charges against the rescue team, Mr Ajeet Singh and members of Guria is recommended.

It is quite unfortunate that the police have chosen to behave thus; it is also significant that civic society has actively come out in support of the rescue team.

Related Links
Who is Answerable to Mukhtaran Mai
Who Does the Government Serve: Not Workers
Who Does the Government Serve: Not Farmers
Who Does the Government Serve: Coca Cola Tales
The Hidden Factory: Child Labour in India
Maharashtra Legislators Abuse Women to Protect Them
Is General Musharraf Anti-National?