In the summer of 1990, a special police team of the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-CID (CB-CID) raided brothels in Bombay (now Mumbai) and rescued hundreds of women engaged in prostitution with the help of the local police. The number of victims was so great that the Indian Railways was persuaded to run a special train to bring them home. This is the biggest rescue operation by the state CB-CID police outside Tamil Nadu.
It all started in 1989 by ‘Savdhan’, a Maharashtra-based non-governmental organization (NGO) with a branch in Chennai, representing the Tamil Nadu police that many women from different parts of the state had been trafficked into Maharashtra. He was imprisoned in the brothel there. The then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi directed the CB-CID to verify the veracity of the complaint and take immediate action if found to be true.
On October 24, 1989, the CB-CID deputed a team headed by Mir Shaukath Ali, one of its best inspectors, to investigate the allegations at suspected locations in Bombay. To its utter shock, the team found more than 600 Tamil women involved in prostitution in the localities of Sonapur, New Sonapur and Kamathipura, says the CB-CID report published in the police journal. Some movers locked the trafficked women in rows of houses and turned some roads into red lights.
Interviews with local people revealed that women were forced into prostitution and those who tried to escape were beaten and tortured by brothel staff.
Assistance of Bombay Police
On his return, Mr. Shaukath Ali submitted his report on the plight of Tamil Nadu women and how they were being exploited in Bombay. He informed his superiors that he met some senior police officers who assured all assistance from the Bombay Police to rescue the victims.
The state government has decided to raid the brothel, rescue the victims and bring them home. A strategy was formulated and explained to a special team on operational procedures in another state. The stage was set to launch a massive anti-prostitution campaign in Bombay.
On May 24, 1990, Assistant Commissioner of Police A. Led by Appusamy, 67 police personnel, including 22 women, boarded the Dadar Express for Bombay.
A few days later, the team raided the brothel with the help of the local police. 983 women including children were rescued from the filthy cave living in horrible conditions. Among those rescued, 749 women and 68 children were natives of Tamil Nadu. Most of the others were from Karnataka and Puducherry.
Police found that the agents lured the women into prostitution and held them hostage for months. Due to the lack of communication facilities at that time, they could not reach their family or friends back home. “Gangs of transpersons exercised complete control over their lives, abused them for prostitution, and brutally repressed any attempts to escape. If any woman dared to go against their will, severe punishment was meted out. The environment these victims were forced to live in was filthy. Some victims were like cave-ins.” “The girls were rescued from their hiding place. Around 200 transfers were arrested who were forcibly kept in different houses,” the report said.
‘Mukti Express’
The victims were initially shifted to a safe house. The judicial magistrate who visited them was convinced by the facts presented by the Tamil Nadu police and allowed them to detain the women and children.
When it was discussed how the victims could be taken to Tamil Nadu, some police officials suggested that the only safe option was to move them in a special train. This was brought to the attention of the Indian Railways authorities, who agreed to run a special train named ‘Mukti’ (Mukti) Express. The train left Mumbai on May 29, 1990, carrying 824 women and children to safety. Some victims preferred to stay in Bombay.
When they reached Madras (now Chennai) a few days later, the victims were warmly welcomed. The then Minister of State for Social Welfare Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan was present at the station to welcome them. The police worked with the social welfare department to reunite the victims with their family members. Those who refused to rejoin their families for fear of ostracism were sent to government homes for women in Chennai, Vellore, Tiruchi, Salem and Coimbatore.
Karunanidhi sanctioned Rs 7.18 lakh for the rehabilitation of the victims. The police continued to hunt down pimps who forced innocent women into prostitution with false promises of lucrative jobs in Mumbai.
published – Dec 20, 2024 at 08:03 am IST