Meet to ascertain real owners of GB Road brothels

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Mailwal today held a meeting with police, government and civic officials asking them to ascertain the real owners of brothels on GB Road who have been evading the law enforcement agencies.
It has been brought to the notice of Maliwal that Delhi Police is finding it difficult to ascertain the actual owners of the brothels, a DCW official said.
"Under the law, if a minor is rescued from a brothel, it should be closed and an FIR should be registered against the owners. However, in case of GB Road, the owners are untraceable.

"FIRs are, therefore, registered against those identifying as 'managers' who are mostly sex workers and have been living in the brothels for long. It is suspected that the real owners of the brothels run huge trafficking rackets and remain hidden from the system," the official said.
The newly appointed SHO of Kamla Market police station, Rakesh Kumar, had written to DJB, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, BSES Yamuna Power Ltd. And sub-registrar so as to find out the real owners of the brothels.
The Registrar Office of District Central informed the SHO that unless transaction details of the property are provided, they cannot ascertain the names of the owners.

BSES informed the SHO that the records of ownership of electricity connections are not readily available and are old and dumped in their office, the official said.

The DCW chairperson held the meeting with Additional District Magistrate (Central), Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Delhi Jal Board, BSES, MCD, Delhi Police and NGO representatives to discuss the issue.
"The objective was to discuss the modalities of identifying the owners of all the brothels situated on GB Road," the official said.
"It was decided in the meeting that the ADM will inform the Commission of the land owning agency and the real owners of the brothels. DJB and BSES have been directed to inform the Commission the names in which water and power connections have been given.

The SHO was asked to interrogate the brothel 'managers' so as to ascertain the owners of the place, the official said.
During the meeting, the problem of illegal and hidden multiple entries and exits into the brothels was also highlighted.
The civic authorities have been asked to form a team involving ADM, SHO, DCW and NGO representatives to undertake an exercise for identifying 'tehkhanas' (basements) and tunnels within the brothels where women and girls are hidden during police raids.