Respond to Petition on Trafficking and Sex Trade: HC Tells Centre, State

Hyderabad: Justice Surepalli Nanda of the Telangana High Court directed the Union and state governments to file their response in a writ petition related to trafficking of women and sex trade. The judge was dealing with a writ petition filed by Prajwala, an institution working for rehabilitation of prostitutes and victims, under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. The petitioner complained about the lack of proper guidelines for sending persons to homes created under the statute.

Senior counsel L. Ravichander pointed out that the lack of sensitivity in distinguishing between victims and perpetrators stems from a lack of appropriate guidelines by the statutory authorities.

“There are no guidelines or protocols for dealing with pimps, traffickers and madams disguised as victims,” he said.

Prajwala pointed out a series of incidents that happened when two women rescued from Marigold hotel were sent to its home. They were actually pimps disguised as victims. Ravichander also pointed out that placing traffickers and victims together will be counter-productive to the very purpose of the statute. He said that on the one hand, the government had failed to establish corrective institutions and protective homes and on the other, it was not even extending proper support to the NGO.

The judge, after hearing the matter, passed an interim direction to the respondents for offering police protection at the petitioner’s protective home and taking prompt action as and when required.