Nagpur: Concerns are being increasingly raised over Nagpur’s age old red light area Ganga Jamuna. Few months back the police department has asked the Shatranjipura zone office of Nagpur municipal corporation (NMC) to take cognisance of the illegal constructions sprouting in Ganga Jamuna. In the backdrop of the last week’s sweeping raid in which 91 women and 45 customers were rounded up, police department is now set to alert NMC with fresh facts and evidences of various illegalities in the building constructions at Ganga Jamuna.
The police team, which had stormed the dingy brothels dotted along the narrow lanes last week, is learnt to have also collected several evidences of illegal bunkers, makeshift terrace shelters, secret spaces, concealed chambers and pigeonhole rooms inside the brothels which the flesh trade racketeers use to hide the sex workers, especially the minors, from getting rescued or rounded up. The evidences, in the forms of photographs, video and mobile phone footages, now would be furnished to the civic authorities for taking cognisance under relevant enactments controlling building and their constructions in urban regions.
Senior PI, Lakadganj, SB Mane said a letter has been already sent to the Shatranjipura zone office pointing out to a construction inside the locality which apparently did not seem to be complying with any rules or regulations. “Our first letter to NMC Zone office had elicited a notification from the civic body that was issued to the person who was constructing the building. One can say as to what purpose was it being constructed with small rooms and cabins by mere looking at the building,” he said. Mane added that a fresh letter with concrete evidences of several illegal constructions inside the red-light locality would be sent to the NMC. “We will provide the civic body with photographs and other evidences which would underline the illegality. Let NMC take action then we would provide adequate police bundobust,” he said.
It has been reliably learnt that ACP, Lakadganj division, Reena Janbandhu has personally taken up the issue of illegal construction within the red-light locality with the concerned NMC zone office. “We are sending a second letter soon through Zonal DCP with my reports of the locality based on the findings during the raid,” she said.
ACP Janbandhu, who had spearheaded last week’s sweeping raid, had also taken a meeting of local shop, pan and tea kiosk owners last week warning them against operating their outlets after she found out that some of the traders were doubling up as pimps and agents of the traffickers. She had later clarified during a press meet earlier this week that while few traders may have licenses to operate but some of the kiosk owners are encroachers who are carrying out their business illegally. “We will inform the NMC against the encroachers too,” she had said.
Zonal DCP Shambhaji Kadam said that if the local NMC ward do not act following intimations from his level then he would ensure that city police chief and the top brass takes up the matter at the highest level. “We will also write to the collector for rehabilitation issue,” he said.
