Police face flak for failing to crack a whip against illegalities
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Ahead of the new tourist season, Colva villagers and NGOs appear a concerned lot over sex rackets that have come to head in the tourist village.
Last week’s successful raid on a massage parlour has brought to the fore the failure of the police machinery to nip the growing activities in the bud. That the activity went without the notice of the men-in-uniform despite concerns raised by local activists over prostitution rackets operating in the village has raised many an eyebrow since the activity had no permission from the local Colva panchayat.
If locals are to be believed, a woman pimp regularly makes her presence felt right on the beach with a group of girls, who are masseurs. The same woman was nabbed by the police under the Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (SITA) in the past, but she is back to her old ways of supplying girls to customers. The girls were lured to the state on the pretext of providing lucrative jobs.
What has come to light is just the tip of the ice berg. The revelation during interrogation that plans were afoot to open another massage parlour in one of the hotels dotting the coastal village is a testimony that those involved in the trade had planned to expand their operations.
Says Colva Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves: “The Colva panchayat has not given any permission for any massage parlour in Colva. In fact, we have decided against granting permission to massage parlours as it encourages prostitution,” he said.
He, however, pointed out that the police should have cracked a whip against the massage parlour raided last week if they had prior permission.
Convenor of Bailancho Ekvott Auda Viegas said time has come for authorities to be extra vigilant on sex rackets operated by organised gangs. “I have been told that certain persons are involved in supplying girls to customers right near the beach. This has to stop forthwith. The authorities should crack a whip with a heavy hand,” Auda demanded.
Local social activist Judith Almeida had been crying foul over prosecution rackets operating in Colva in recent weeks, but in vain. “Nobody took cognizance when we brought to the notice of the Colva police and police higher ups that prostitution is going on in a big way in Colva. The massage parlour incident shows that things are slowly going out of control. We have passed on information to the police that even boys on motorcycles supply girls to customers. The very presence of a female pimp on the beach should have evoked strong action from the men-in-uniform, but that has not happened till date,” she lamented.
