PANAJI: The Calangute police appeared to be facing the brunt for having acted on the complaints from the local community about the “illegal” activities involving women going in its jurisdiction and “rescuing” 29 girls who were allegedly being physically abused, last week.

According to the information provided by a senior police official, the police acted after it received reliable information as regards to the illegalities and rounded up the girls, some of whom he said were involved in “illegal” activities after their duty hours. He also said that premises where the illegalities were going on were surveyed before the raids.
Stating that the police used the normal procedure, he went on to add that lady constables were used to “round up” the girls and a former lady panchayat member was summoned as the state witness during the raids. He also said that the girls were questioned at the Calangute police station in the presence of representatives of a prominent non-government organisation.
He denied that the girls were ever arrested but were rescued from physical abuse. The girls were then produced before the sub-divisional magistrate, Mapusa, for obtaining necessary order as required under Section 17 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, who ordered their detention in protection home at Merces. He also said that the Calangute police have received a large number of complaints about the suspicious activities of the girls, most of who were from outside the state.
The chairperson of the Goa State Women’s Commission, Ms Ezilda Sapeco, on Saturday said that following individual complaints to the commission by some of the girls, who were picked up by the police from their homes, only on the basis of suspicion of their involvement in prostitution, has asked the involved police inspector to furnish all the details of the case to the commission at the earliest.
Speaking to The Navhind Times Ms Sapeco said the commission had already received similar complaint from the owner of a beauty parlour, last week, which is also being investigated. She also felt that the arrest of the girls is a gross violation of human rights. 
Meanwhile, the Calangute police have issued notices to discotheques, etc operating in its jurisdiction to install closed circuit television cameras in their premises to prevent misuse of the premises for any illegal activities and to keep vigil on suspicious elements. Besides, their managements have been warned that if any girl was found indulging in illegal activity in their premises than the managements would be held liable for the act and strict action would taken, including sealing/closure.