In the second week of July 2024, we received a lead about a minor victim being sexually exploited in a spa in Bidhannagar, West Bengal. On 17th July as soon as we were able to verify the lead, we spoke to the Assistant Police Commissioner, ACP, Bidhannagar on the phone and shared whatever information we had about the minor. The ACP said a team would be ready to initiate the raid the next day.
On 18th July, when we called the ACP for the rescue, she informed us that they were awaiting permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP.
The ACP called us to ask the name of the spa where the victim is being exploited as the DCP was asking. Not wanting the information leaked and the spa tipped off about the rescue, we said we would take the police team to the spa while we were going for the rescue but not share any information.
We waited for the ACP to call us with the DCPs permission. She called us saying the DCP hadn’t given permission as there was an issue in the Commissionerate. The ACP asked us to come to the Bidhannagar Women’s Police Station.
After going to the police station, the ACP started to ask her details about the spa and our office address. We told her we would get back with details. ( Due to the sensitive nature of our work, we don’t disclose our location to the police or anyone else). We waited to meet her, but she told us she was busy and wouldn’t be able to meet us. We sent her our Freedom Firm brochure and annual report through a Whatsapp message.
On 19th July the ACP sent us a Whatsapp message asking for our office address. We did not share it. We went to meet the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, ADCP. We gave him an update on all that happened. He told us he won’t be able to do the rescue with us accompanying them. If we had information, we should pass it on to the police and they will verify it and then perform the rescue operation themselves. They had a bad experience with another NGO and had to answer before a judge about the incident. We said we would get back.
We went to the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, WBSCPCR, and got an appointment to meet the Chairperson on 22nd July at 10:30 am.
On 22nd July we met the Chairperson and gave her a detailed overview of the case. She asked us a few questions. We told her we will get back to her the next day with the information.
The next few days we discussed the case thoroughly and verified the information and called the WBSCPCR. An officer from the WBSCPCR examined all the information and said we could go ahead with the rescue. The Chairperson of WBSCPCR would talk to the Commissioner of Police, CP, Bidhannagar about initiating a rescue. A staff from WBSCPCR would be able to join us on the 25th as she had a prior appointment on the 24th.
On 25th July, we called the WBSCPCR. We were told to prepare for the rescue operation. The police team was ready to initiate the raid.
We were at the WBSCPCR office and collected the official documents that we needed for the raid. We went to the CPs office and were directed to meet the Inspector in Charge, IC, Baguiati Police Station.
We went to the Baguiati Police Station and met the IC. We handed him the documents given to us by the WBSCPCR.
On 25th July at 4:30 pm, the police and our team raided the spa. A female receptionist was in the front area. The police detained her. Our team began searching the rooms and we found the victim in one of the rooms with a customer. In another room we found another woman sitting alone in one of the massage rooms. While we were talking to her, another woman who worked at the spa returned from her break. She wasn’t aware that the spa was being raided.
Kia the victim was nervous and spoke in a disjointed manner at first. Then she took us to one of the rooms and told us she came to the spa four times a week and attended to customers. The police started to collect evidence from the spa. They bagged mobile phones and money from the spa. They then shut the spa and Kia, the other two women who worked in the spa, the receptionist and our team left for Baguiati Police Station.
At the police station when the police realized it was an The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act case, ITPA, they were reluctant to proceed. They had not followed any of the protocols or procedures. Kia was called to the ICs office. There she shared her story. She was 17 and a single mother and because she was young, the owner of the spa had hired her. Kia had two Aadhar cards with different ages since she liked to go clubbing; one had her real date of birth and the other a fictional older date of birth.
The owner of this spa ran other spas in the city as well and one of them was raided in Februaury. The owner had paid the police off and the police let them continue their illegal spa activities.
The police listened to Kia and still refused to file a case. Our advocate came to the police station and spoke to the IC. The IC still refused to record Kia’s statement or to file the First Information Report. He then warned us that if Kia changed her statement we would be in trouble. Sensing he was not going to cooperate, we came out of his office and started to draft an email to the IC in Baguiati Police Station, the Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar Commissionerate, the WBSCPCR and Child Welfare Committee, North , giving a detailed overview of the entire case.
While we were drafting the mail, the IC called us back into his office and agreed to file a case under u/s 95 of Bhartiya Naya Sanhita (make hiring, employing, engaging or using a child for committing offenses including sexual exploitation or pornography offense as if such person himself has committed the offense.) Kia was called in again and asked the same questions. This time Kia changed her story and said she was hired as a masseuse, she knew other masseuses were offering sex to customers but she never engaged in sex with any customers.
We told the IC to give us some time to speak to Kia. We came out of his office with Kia and asked her why she was doing this. She said since she was being pressured by us, she gave a false statement earlier.
Since Kia refused to share her statement, the IC ordered her to go for a general medical check up after which she would be placed in a shelter home.
On 26th July we spoke to the Chairperson of WBSCPCR and Chairperson of the CWC and shared everything that transpired the previous night. The CWC asked us to meet them along with Kia later that day as she had to be produced before them.
At 3:00 pm, we were at the CWCs office and the police brought Kia to the office a little later. Once again Kia lied and said she was masseuse at the parlor and never engaged in sex with any customers. The CWC passed an order for her to be placed in a shelter home for 30 days. We also got permission to do a home investigation and get details from Kia’s home. We were requested to mail the CWC for special permission to counsel Kia at the shelter home. After we sent the email we were granted permission to counsel Kia.
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