Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a significant directive aimed at protecting rights of sex workers, the state police will no longer register FIRs or make arrests against women involved in sex work during raids at brothels, hotels or spas. Instead, such women will be treated as rescued victims, according to an order issued by Special Director General of Police (Women Safety) Pragya Richa Srivastava.
The order, dated April 3, has been circulated to all police units across the state, instructing them to strictly adhere to the guidelines under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. It states that women involved in such activities are often victims of exploitation and should not be treated as offenders.
According to AIG Kiranlata Kerketta, the women found in these raids must be considered rescued persons and not subjected to any penal action. The order refers to a Supreme Court judgment that clearly states sex workers cannot be arrested, harassed or punished for voluntarily engaging in sex work, as running a brothel is prohibited, but voluntary sexual activity is not illegal.
This directive comes in the backdrop of a recent crackdown by Bhopal police on sex rackets allegedly being operated under the guise of spa centres. During the drive, over four dozen people, including many women, were arrested.
Advocate Yawar Khan welcomed the order and said both the Supreme Court and various High Courts have consistently held that sex workers should be considered victims and not criminals. He saidthat several older cases remain pending in courts where FIRs were wrongly registered against such women. “This new directive makes it clear that police must now treat them as rescued and not accused,” he said.
