India News | MP Police Directs Officials Not to Arrest, Harass Sex Workers Caught in Raids

Bhopal, Apr 6 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh police have ordered its officials not to register cases against sex workers caught during raids at hotels and dhabas, an official said on Sunday.

The order issued on April 3 stated that while running a brothel is illegal, sex workers should not be harassed, the official said.

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The order by the women's safety branch of the Madhya Pradesh Police Headquarters directed the police commissioners of Bhopal and Indore and the district superintendents of police (SP) and Railways.

Women caught by the police after raids at brothels run by owners of hotels and dhabas are booked under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA), the order stated.

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In this regard, it has also been written earlier about treating the woman (sex worker) like a victim, it said.

"Only running a brothel is illegal. Sex workers should not be arrested, punished or harassed. Ensure that the above guidelines are strictly followed in the offences under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956," the order stated.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)