Maliwal accuses police of ‘propagating’ trafficking business at GB Road

New Delhi: DCW chief Swati Maliwal today wrote to Special CP (Crime) alleging that the local police station at GB Road, the largest red-light area in the national capital, was involved in "propagating" the trafficking business. 

She urged that the staff of the police station should be rotated frequently and only competent officers be appointed in the sensitive area. 

Maliwal also sought installation of CCTV cameras near the police station as well as main areas of the brothels, a statement issued by the women's panel said. She pointed out various lapses by the Delhi Police in the trafficking cases registered at GB Road. 

For instance, despite being at very little distance (200 metres) from GB Road, the Delhi Police has not been able to conduct any raid in the past two years in the area on its own accord. 

The raids were conducted only on information received from NGOs and/or the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), the statement said. Several survivors rescued by the Commission have stated that police officials inform brothel owners of raids in advance, it said. 

Also, few days after the arrest of an accused Afaaq, 42 officers were transferred from the local police station at Kamla Market due to alleged links of the accused with some policemen of Crime Branch, the panel said.