Gurgaon: How sex workers use autorickshaws to strike deals, avoid police

Mail Today visited the infamous Mall Mile area in Gurgaon late night to see how sex workers were using auto-rickshaws to avoid public gaze and police action.

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Sex worker in Gurgaon
A suspected sex worker moves out of her auto-rickshaw into the car of a prospective client late on Gurugram's Mall Mile stretch.

In Short

  • Sex worker use auto-rickshaws to avoid public gaze and police action.
  • The oddity is apparent when one sees an autorickshaw and a car move parallel.
  • Gurgaon police spokesperson ACP Hawa Singh refused to comment.

You must keep moving.

This Albert Einstein's quote appears to be the new mantra for flesh trade in Gurugram. A late night visit by Mail Today team to Mall Mile, an infamous 2km stretch on MG Road which hosts several shopping malls and night clubs, revealed that sex workers were using auto-rickshaws to avoid public gaze and police action.

The area was in media spotlight several times in the past as a hub for unlawful activities in public view, drawing police crackdown on the night clubs situated there. The business begins after 1am, which is the deadline for the pubs to down their shutters, as Mail Today team found out.

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As night club goers start moving out in their vehicles, several auto-rickshaws begin to court them.

These autos have two to three girls sitting inside as passengers. The negotiations take place even as both vehicles keep moving albeit at a slow pace. If the deal is struck, the vehicles pull over to the roadside, money is exchanged and the woman moves out of autorickshaw and into the car.

HOW DOES IT WORK

The oddity is all but apparent when one sees an auto-rickshaw and a luxury car move parallel at a slow pace on a busy road.

As many as seven autos were involved with sex business on Mall Mile on the night when our team visited the spot.

"A deal starts from Rs1,000 and can go up to Rs5,000," an auto driver disclosed to our team.

Another auto driver, who identified himself as Tayab Hussain, told MAIL TODAY, "I have been doing 'night shift' to earn quick money. My daily earnings are between Rs1,000 and Rs1,500 without much travelling."

Hussain picked up "these girls" outside Sahara Mall around 1am.

"We continued to move up and down this road for about half an hour before a deal was finalised for Rs2,000. I was paid my cut and then I moved on in search for other girls," he said.

There were only three police personnel, one Haryana Police constable and two contractual employees performing duties at IFFCO Chowk on the night with little patrolling on the stretch.

WHAT DOES THE POLICE HAVE TO SAY

Gurugram police spokesperson ACP Hawa Singh refused to comment on the matter when our correspondent tried to seek his reaction to our findings.

The police constable posted at IFFCO Chowk, however, admitted that the sex business thrived on the stretch but there was hardly any manpower to trap the players.

The constable requested anonymity.

"This kind of trend has possibilities of ending into a tragedy," the constable said.

"A deal may go wrong; there could be a gang rape; a drunk client may get involved into an accident or act violently with the sex worker. There could be a major case waiting to happen."

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Several policemen, who have worked in the area in night shifts, said that these activities were going on for some time. Some of the employees of these night clubs may also be involved in these activities. "They keep finding new ways to avoid police," one of the policemen approached by Mail Today said. "It is difficult to prove the act where the players could act as club goers or late shift workers travelling back," he pointed out.

DRIVE AGAINST THREE WHEELER

Ironically, newly appointed Police Commissioner Sandeep Khirwar has recently launched a drive against three-wheelers.

The police have impounded 1,835 vehicles, the majority of them being auto-rickshaws for violating rules and endangering the life of common road users.

The drive is being seen as a part of an effort by Khirwar to inculcate a sense of discipline among the auto-rickshaw drivers in the city and ensure better traffic management. Many autorickshaws drivers in the city are notorious for violating traffic norms, leading to jams, and plying without valid documents.

The drive has led to strong resentment among the autorickshaw drivers who threatened to go on a strike if the drive continued. As many as 350 auto-rickshaws were impounded on Thursday and another 690 auto-rickshaws on Friday. Besides, 108 cars were impounded for wrong parking on Thursday.

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Also, 1,364 challans were issued for various traffic violations and 131 vehicles were towed away on Friday.

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