3 held for soliciting on streets

The Social Security Cell arrested three women aged between 20 and 25 years for soliciting on the streets yesterday. The police said the women, who claimed they were from Kolkata, were arrested off Senapati Bapat Road when they were allegedly looking for customers.

The women were taken to the Shivaji Nagar police station. "The Social Security Cell arrested Aarati Rajendra Roy (20), Rakhi Pradip Chaudhari (25) and Deepa Hadu Palid (22), residents of Barate chawl in Chandani Chowk under Section 110 and 117 of Mumbai Police Act," said ASI R J Ghatge of the Shivaji Nagar police station. "The girls were standing in Narvir Tanaji Wadi area near Senapati Bapat Road."

MiD DAY spoke to Rakhi, who said, "An agent brought me to Pune some three days ago."

Deepa said, "The agent brought us here promising us a job."

At this point, the women made signs to one another and clammed up.

Mystery man
A man came to the police station after midnight, but when MiD DAY approached him to know if he was there in
connection with the case, he walked away muttering he had to contact a constable he knew.

Finally, MiD DAY asked station duty officer Ghatge who the man was but neither he nor the others in the police station answered the question even as the man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, sat on a chair writing something.
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Later, on being asked repeatedly about the man, Ghatge said,u00a0 "I thought he had come with you."

A police official said, "The cases against these girls are quite common. Almost every day we arrest girls standing near Corporation, Sancheti Bridge. Some girls staying in Budhwar Peth (the red light area) for customers."