It is no secret that the flesh trade is rampant in areas under some police stations in the West Zone. People wonder why police in the capital fail to check prostitution.
Last Sunday, the misadventure of two plain-clothes policemen who raided a brothel in Rahmathnagar under Jubilee Hills police station limits, without informing their superiors, threw up the question yet again. The alleged pimp attacked the policemen with a knife, causing bleeding wounds to both Anjaneyulu, a constable of S.R. Nagar police station and Konda Reddy, head constable of Jubilee Hills police station.
One cannot find fault with policemen attempting to stop an illegal activity. Interestingly, Anjaneyulu had had the day off, and Konda Reddy had ventured out for the secret operation in plain clothes. Well, even this is acceptable during the execution of certain special tasks.
But what raises suspicions is that both cops were drunk during their attempt to bust the ‘flesh trade’. This was confirmed through the statements of residents in the neighbourhood, a senior police official said.
There are allegations that some lower-rung policemen in West zone are hand-in-glove with persons indulging in illegal activ-ities, including prostitut-ion. In some instances, policemen were caught red-handed and even arres-ted on the charge of extor-ting money from brothel operators in this zone.
Strangely, the trend continues and special units like the Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Task Force and Jubilee Hills police are unaware of the development.
Being more vigilant
A software professional allegedly kills his wife and son and later hangs himself in the house. Three days later a friend calls him over phone. When there is no response, the friend gets suspicious and visits the techie’s house, only to find the family of three dead.
Cases such as these do surface in the city where either a phone call from a worried relative to the police or a friend unveils murders or suicides that had taken place days ago. At times the neighbours call the police after foul smell emanates from the premises.
In most cases, the apartments or gated communities are well-guarded with security personnel, check-posts and the latest surveillance gadgets.
But to bring down instances such as these, the police should reach out to colony or apartment welfare associations and educate them in being more vigilant. Perhaps, as some suggest, the police should ask the welfare associations to ensure the watch-and-ward staff has more interaction with inmates.
