GB Road brothels enjoy patronage of a Union Minister: DCW chief

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 22

Vowing to expose the “political nexus” behind the national Capital’s notorious red-light area GB Road, Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal today alleged that sex trade in brothels operating on GB Road was thriving under the “patronage” of a Union Minister.

She alleged that investigation had found that it was a “five crore” business every night and the Union Minister along with another politician from a leading national party had a stake in the multi-crore business.

When asked to disclose the name, Maliwal told The Tribune that she would soon reveal the name and was waiting for the investigation to be completed.

Addressing the media here earlier, she claimed an FIR by the ACB against her in connection with the alleged malpractices in recruitment in the women’s panel was an attempt to “muzzle” her as she was hinted days before about the ACB action.

“I was advised to stay away from the GB Road illegal racket,” she said.

“Our investigation has indicated the involvement of a Union Minister and a Delhi leader of country’s leading national party in the illegal flesh trade in GB Road brothels. We tried to reach the owners of the brothels and in course we started getting indications. Then suddenly a fake FIR was filed against me and I was being told that with the help of the LG they might get me arrested and removed from the commission,” said Maliwal.

Pointing out that questions are arising, the DCW chief asserted, “At GB Road where every night’s turnover is Rs five crore where is the money going? What are the linkages? Even the MCD is not acting and breaking the hidden cellars. I was told not to meddle with the GB Road sex business and all my requests to the MCD to crackdown on the brothels have fallen on deaf ears. I will not give up and expose how such an organised crime of flesh trade is flourishing just 3 km away from Parliament.

Describing it as an “organised crime”, she underlined, “I will reach to the root of all this. I know it is very risky and murky. I’ve also expressed hope that the indications are false. I am waiting for the final outcome of the investigation.”

The politically damaging allegations came days after the city’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) registered an FIR against the DCW chief following a complaint by former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh, who had alleged that several AAP supporters were given plum posts in the commission.

Barkha, in her complaint, had listed the names of 85 people who, she claimed, got jobs “without requisite credentials”.

Maliwal, however, had rubbished all allegations terming the FIR “false” and adding that all appointments were made as per “due procedure” followed by the DCW since its inception 20 years ago.

It is worth mentioning that in May this year, it came to the notice of the DCW that neither the Delhi police nor other concerned agencies in the national Capital knew the “real owners” of the brothels hinting at a huge nexus herein with owners being involved in trafficking operations in Delhi.

The issue was flagged following a meeting comprising ADM Central, SDM, Delhi Jal Board, BSES, MCD, Delhi Police (SHO) and NGO representative to discuss the modalities to reach the hidden cellars inside the brothels and identifying the owner of all the brothels on the GB Road.

The meeting came in the backdrop of the recent rescue of two Nepali girls from the brothel at GB Road.