JAMMU: Close on the heels of busting of sex racket in twin cities of Jammu as well as Srinagar, both DC Aijaz Assad and SSP Rajesh Bhalwal, Srinagar deserve kudos for initiating appropriate penal action against the promoters of immoral trafficking.
The reverse has happened in our city of temples, Jammu where so far neither DC nor SSP Jammu have appreciated the gravity of the matter about running of a brothel in Qasim Nagar locality of Bahu fort area.
Expressing angst on the mis-handling of notorious Swarna’s case by police, Prof SK Bhalla said “Both DC as well as SSP Jammu should honor recent order of the J&K High Court wherein Justice Mohan Lal while rejecting bail plea of POCSO accused said “Leniency in matters involving sexual offences is not only undesirable, but is also against public interest therefore the courts should not show any leniency to persons booked for such crimes and the perpetrators must be dealt with iron hands”. Here is also a need to initiate departmental proceedings against the then SHO Inspector Sikander Singh Chouhan as well as IO handling case in FIR No 88/2022 dated 10/09/2022. No laxity is acceptable from guardians of law.
For the kind information of Jammu administration, the then SHO of Bagh e Bahu police station Inspector Sikander Singh Chouhan vide FIR No 088/2022 dated 10/09/2022 has registered a case u/s 3, 4, 5, 7 of Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act 1956 against accused Swarna. However, until his transfer on Jan 31, 2023, the said SHO failed to act against the notorious woman despite the fact that more than 6 well meaning residents of Qasim Nagar also recorded their statement before police in the cited FIR.
One police officer of the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector who is posted at Bagh e Bahu Police station revealed that under rules premises of accused woman is liable for sealing by the cops if the accused is booked under Immoral Trafficking Act but investigation in the cited FIR was deliberately kept under cold storage for shielding accused woman.
Not only this, even when the police recently busted sex-drug racket operating at premises of same Swarna on March, 8, 2023, though the police booked accused along with three other accomplices under Prevention of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act but for reasons best known to them not incorporated relevant sections of PITA in FIR No 32/2023.
As standard procedure in case of PITA cases, on the dossiers of SSP, the DC needs to initiate proceedings for attachment/sealing premises used for immoral trafficking under section 18 of PITA.
Expressing their resentment against the police for delay in sealing the brothel of swarna, residents of Qasim Nagar said “Everyone in police knows that accused Swarna is running an inter-state sex-drug racket at her premises 196, Qasim Nagar where at any given point of time 6 to 8 girls kept for prostitution but still the police is trying to shield the culprits”.
The authorities in police must order enquiry against the then SHO Bagh-e-Bahu police station, Inspector Sikander for sitting silent on FIR No 88/2022 for 5 months, demanded the aggrieved residents of Qasim Nagar.