DCW asks police about minors rescued from brothels

New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the station house officer of Kamla Market police station, seeking details within June 15 about the number of minors rescued from brothels in its jurisdiction and the reason that the brothels have not yet been sealed.

Officials of the Commission claimed that as per provisions of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA), each building from where a minor subjected to trafficking is rescued is mandated to be sealed by the authorities.

The Act also mandates the concerned police station to communicate the details of such rescues to the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

In the notice sent to the Kamla Market SHO, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal sought details of girls rescued from brothels in GB Road since January 15, 2000, as well as details of brothels closed under provisions of ITPA till date, and the current status of each brothel (including date of closure, reason for closure, stay from courts if any).

Maliwal stated, "DCW, in coordination with Delhi Police, has rescued several minors from GB Road in last three years, but no brothel from where a minor was rescued has been closed down. It seems that certain police personnel are also helping in running these brothels. We have asked to provide information within a week, else the SHO will be liable for further legal action as per the law."

Recently, cases of young girls from Jharkhand being forced to work as domestic help in residences in the Capital came to the fore. In the most high-profile case, a 16-year-old girl was murder by her agents after she demanded that they pay her the salary that they owed her, since she came to Delhi in search of employment