Court shuts down brothel, jails two for forcing woman into flesh trade

 A sex worker has been sentenced by a Delhi court to seven years in jail and her brothel owner to three years for forcing a Nepalese woman into prostitution.

While jailing sex worker Madhu and brothel owner Bala, additional sessions judge Kaveri Baweja also ordered the closure of the brothel and asked police to ensure it within a week.

The 20-year-old Nepalese woman, who was forced into the prostitution, had come to Delhi for an abortion.

“As the premises in question was being run as a brothel, I deem it appropriate to exercise my powers under section 18 Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act and direct its closure. SHO PS Kamla Market shall, after evicting the occupiers of the said brothel house, ensure the closure within seven days,” the ASJ ordered.

As per the prosecution, a police team visiting the brothel on August 29, 2009, for a routine checking had found the Nepalese girl in the brothel. She had complained to the police that she was forced into prostitution by the duo.

The court also made a ‘recommendation of adequate compensation to the victim’ under the victim compensation scheme.

The Nepalese woman had told police that she was married to one Dinesh in 2005 and had became pregnant. Since they were financially not sound, she had opted to abort the child but could not do so in her village near Kathmandu due to advanced stage of pregnancy, she added.

She said she met a person who told her about advanced medical facilities available in India and brought her to Delhi only to leave her at the brothel.

At the brothel, she was not allowed to abort and she gave birth to a girl child, who was also taken away by Madhu, who asked the victim to work as a prostitute or else the child will not be returned to her, it said.

The girl also complained that all her income was taken away by Bala who also used to beat her up.

The court convicted Mamta under the Immoral Trafficking Act for forcing the girl into prostitution and also for intimidating her.

The judge also noted that the girl had deposed that her husband had left her on the ground that she had entered the professions of flesh trade.