Deserted MbPT godowns turn flesh trade dens for eunuchs

The gang rape at the abandoned Shakti Mills in Mahalaxmi has thrown the spotlight on other unguarded derelict structures that are being used by elements on the shadowy fringes of societyu00a0MiD DAY discovered that the hollowed out creaky godowns of the Mumbai Port Trust MbPT close to Cotton Green railway station have been taken over by eunuchs to run prostitution lairs Moreover a walk through the deserted premises may be an invitation for robberies local said A transgender in talks with a truck driveru00a0 According to locals eunuchs have been using these premises for the last few months They solicit customers and bring them to the defunct godowns through holes punched in their crumbling brick wallsu00a0Entry to these godowns was sealed six months ago by the engineering department of MbPT and notices pasted on walls warning entrants of the structures being dilapidated Eunuchs near the godown L70 a haven for their activities It is used to cater to truck drivers from the nearby depot Circled Notices warning entrants of the dangerous nature of the structure on the wallsu00a0 When MiD DAY visited the location on Tuesday afternoon a few transgenders were spotted outside one such godown L70 close to the truck terminal Wearing heavy makeup many were seen soliciting potential customersu00a0According to workers at private godowns at the location the eunuchs come to the spot daily ldquoWe have warned them against coming to our godowns They take their customers inside the abandoned godowns and come out after a few hours We heard they charge anywhere over Rs 100 Also they ensure that the customers use condoms which they provide once inside the godownrdquo said a loader at a private godown Holeinthewallu00a0 Dyandeo Shankar who has been working as a loader for the past decade said ldquoThe eunuchs conduct their business throughout the day but it picks up after the entire place empties out after 6 pm They have knocked holes in some godown walls so they can sneak in and outrdquo A transgender readies for the day on the neglected godown premises near Cotton Greenu00a0 MiD DAY found two openings on the front and back of more than one godown on the stretch Locals speculated that the openings were entry and escape routes in case of a raid On closer inspection of the spot we saw hundreds of used condoms strewn on the floor along with gutkha packets Shankar said that during heavy rainfall the godowns get flooded and the condoms are flushed outside the premises Another loader hinted that the authorities are in the know but choose to stay mum ldquoThe MbPT staff and the local police are aware of the eunuchs running prostitution rings but they are easily managedrdquo he said Holes knocked in godown walls serve as an easy exit point for prostitutes in case of a police raid According to locals most of the MbPT godowns were storerooms for cottons used in textile mills but after the mills shut down in the 80s they fell into disuse turning into hangouts for antisocial elements and drug addicts Vijaykumar Shendge superintendent at NSD Industrial Home which runs a vocational training institute for the blind and is close to the godowns said ldquoEunuchs around Reay Road railway station accost and rob people who happen to walk through the deserted godown lanes in evening They donrsquot stay here they come in the morning and leave late at nightrdquo MbPT says Chief Security Officer of MbPT RR Mane said ldquoThe said godowns do not come under my jurisdiction I am concerned of security of only the import and export containersrdquou00a0S G Shenoy chief public relations officer for the port trust said succintly ldquoThe godowns come under the Estate Managerrsquos officerdquou00a0Officials from Estate Managerrsquos office informed MiD DAY that at one time they had around 178 godowns on the stretch close to Cotton Green but some mills were leased out to private parties and other rickety ones were razed ldquoWe had only recently sealed the entry points to the godowns with the help of our civil engineering department and notices were put up informing public of the condition of the godownrdquo point out an officeru00a0Sunil Kumar KE Assistant Estate Manger said ldquoI am not aware of the godowns being used for flesh trade by eunuchs I will get the claims verified and bring this matter to the notice of our engineering department and security officials to intensify regular patrollingrdquo Copspeak Meanwhile the additional commissioner of police central region Praveen Salunkhe said ldquoI will immediately instruct the local police station to write to the owners of the godowns and take appropriate action Also local police would be directed to take necessary action immediatelyrdquou00a0Locals maintain that though the mobile police van of Kalachowkie police patrols the area regularly the eunuchs run to nearby bushes or hole up at godowns when they spot it Photos Suresh KK and Datta Kumbhar