Info on parlour raid was leaked: police
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, OCT 11
A mole in Goa Police seems to have tipped off massage parlour owner before the raid by women and child protection unit on Saturday.
Police officials confirmed that while highly confidential raid after the communication from Mizoram police was planned on Saturday, the information was leaked in advance.
“Massage parlour owner lodged complaint against three Mizoram girls with the Porvorim police station little before the raid was conducted. This means the owner was informed about the raiding party approaching her parlour,” a senior police officer said on condition of anonymity.
While three Mizoram girls, who spilled beans on the ‘Lotus’ massage parlour lady Mahalaxmi Mishra, had left the work on October 4, the police complaint against them was lodged five days later that too slightly before the police action.
Mishra in her complaint to Porvorim police had accused all the three girls of ‘chewing tobacco and drinking beer because of which they were rusticated.’
The three girls who left Mishra’s parlour had reportedly informed Mizoram NGO and police about the activities here. “They went to Betalbatim and stayed at their relative’s place after fleeing from Porvorim parlour on October 4,” sources stated.
Incidentally, Mizoram police in a similar action back there had rescued 10 girls and arrested three people, who wanted to send them to Goa. As both the information came at same time, Mizoram police flashed a letter to Goa counterpart.
The women’s police on Saturday night rescued 11 girls from the north eastern states who are reportedly victims of human trafficking. They are lodged at Protective Home at Merces. Police sources further said that of these girls, only two are professional beauticians while remaining were lured to Goa with a promise to teach them the skills.
“All girls were lured of a lucrative job and good salary. Once they were transported here, they were forced into flesh trade,” said the officer wishing anonymity.
When contacted the chief of Bailancho Ekvott Auda Veigas said that all trafficked women are school drop-outs. Veigas was called by the women police to assist during and after the raid.
“While, few of these girls were brought to Goa some three months ago, others had come a week ago,” she said.
Speaking to police spokesperson SP (Special Branch) Atmaram Deshpande expressed inability to carry out state-level operation to track human trafficking.
“It’s difficult to find out whether these girls are trafficked or have come on their own in search of employment…There are many from north eastern states employed in the state,” he said.
