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Increased police raids on lodges and hotels patronised by commercial sex workers keeps customers away
The increased police raids on hotels and lodges post 26/11 are beginning to hurt Mumbai's flesh trade. DCP (Enforcement) Sanjay Mohite confirmed that raids on three-star hotels and lodges have been stepped up. "We have upped the number of raids on suspect establishments from three times a month to eight to 10 times," Mohite said.
Pradeep Suryavanshi, senior inspector from Andheri police station, said, terrorists could easily exploit places that are frequented by commercial sex workers. "The sole concern of lodge owners is business. They never ask customers for any document or proof of identity.
So, we have increased the number of raids to ensure the security of the public is not compromised," Suryavanshi said. Nina (name changed), a sex worker, said that business had suffered almost by 60 per cent.
"It's simple. No man wants to be caught with another woman. People who did have a place to spend a night, hired a room in these lodges. Now with the increased police scrutiny, lodge owners fear letting out their rooms as their licence can be cancelled. Some of the girls who would visit customers abroad can't because it is not easy to get a visa as it was before the terror attacks."
A lodge owner from Charni Road said the police have raided his lodge six times in the last week. "The situation being what it is, I can't give my rooms for such purposes. Clients who patronise sex workers are a major source of income for lodge owners like me. The raids have really hurt our business."
A week ago, 32 sex workers were arrested in Chembur during one such raid.
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The number of lodges in Andheri that are under police scanner after 26/11 | 
