Friday, February 17, 2006
Agra Gaining Notoriety as Flesh Trade Hub
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: In this famous city of the Taj Mahal, police have busted a number of call girl racket.
Police say Agra, one of India's biggest tourist hubs, is gaining notoriety for flesh trade which has made inroads into the city's residential areas and tourist complexes.
While the 'mandis', or brothels, in Mal ka Bazaar, Seo ka Bazaar, Basai or Sikandra are as old as the ancient monuments this city is famous for, newer centers have sprung up.
Says Surendra Sharma, founder president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association: "Tourism brings dollars no doubt, but in many a country it has also opened the gates for cultural devaluation." "The city of the Taj, which till now had remained virtually insulated from tourism-related pollution, is beginning to feel the impact of changing perceptions and lifestyles, falling prey to demands from tourists for forbidden pleasures."
The flesh traders reportedly have close links with Sonagachi, the red light area in Kolkata, and Mumbai's brothels.
According to Police, a thriving market for prostitutes and even gigolos has come up to cater to the needs of tourists, mostly domestic.
In recent raids a large number of people booked were found to be of the nouveau riche variety. Police said from the confessions of 3 call girls from Delhi who were caught from a hotel, they had evidence confirming how local emporium staff and travel agents patronize the flesh trade.
Agra has become a transit point for recruitment and supply of dancing girls for bars in Mumbai, informed sources said. Police took into custody 2 teenaged girls who were being taken to Mumbai to work in bars.
The Shaheed Nagar colony has become infamous as a haven for flesh traders, mostly from the Beria tribe.
A senior police official indicated that whole families were involved in the supply of girls picked up early and later administered hormone injections for inducing accelerated physical growth. However, doctors at the district hospital and local officials deny any such cases. But unconfirmed reports continue to do the rounds about certain tribes in the Rajasthan-Uttar Pradesh belt where young girls are injected with hormonal injections.
Two interesting cases in the past week provided new insights into the working of the trade. In one instance, a newly built nursing home was being used for prostitution, with the doctor himself coordinating the racket. The other case involved a musical orchestra. The dancing and singing girls with the orchestras took up part time assignments as call girls, according to city Superintendent of Police.
Agra: In this famous city of the Taj Mahal, police have busted a number of call girl racket.
Police say Agra, one of India's biggest tourist hubs, is gaining notoriety for flesh trade which has made inroads into the city's residential areas and tourist complexes.
While the 'mandis', or brothels, in Mal ka Bazaar, Seo ka Bazaar, Basai or Sikandra are as old as the ancient monuments this city is famous for, newer centers have sprung up.
Says Surendra Sharma, founder president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association: "Tourism brings dollars no doubt, but in many a country it has also opened the gates for cultural devaluation." "The city of the Taj, which till now had remained virtually insulated from tourism-related pollution, is beginning to feel the impact of changing perceptions and lifestyles, falling prey to demands from tourists for forbidden pleasures."
The flesh traders reportedly have close links with Sonagachi, the red light area in Kolkata, and Mumbai's brothels.
According to Police, a thriving market for prostitutes and even gigolos has come up to cater to the needs of tourists, mostly domestic.
In recent raids a large number of people booked were found to be of the nouveau riche variety. Police said from the confessions of 3 call girls from Delhi who were caught from a hotel, they had evidence confirming how local emporium staff and travel agents patronize the flesh trade.
Agra has become a transit point for recruitment and supply of dancing girls for bars in Mumbai, informed sources said. Police took into custody 2 teenaged girls who were being taken to Mumbai to work in bars.
The Shaheed Nagar colony has become infamous as a haven for flesh traders, mostly from the Beria tribe.
A senior police official indicated that whole families were involved in the supply of girls picked up early and later administered hormone injections for inducing accelerated physical growth. However, doctors at the district hospital and local officials deny any such cases. But unconfirmed reports continue to do the rounds about certain tribes in the Rajasthan-Uttar Pradesh belt where young girls are injected with hormonal injections.
Two interesting cases in the past week provided new insights into the working of the trade. In one instance, a newly built nursing home was being used for prostitution, with the doctor himself coordinating the racket. The other case involved a musical orchestra. The dancing and singing girls with the orchestras took up part time assignments as call girls, according to city Superintendent of Police.
# posted by mediabhartiwebsolutions @ 3:40 AM 
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]