Special teams to take on sex workers

CHENNAI: Proliferation of transgender streetwalkers on Chennai roads has been a matter of concern for the police. Though they see this as a disturbing trend, they have merely been sending them away from the spot where they are found waiting to pick up clients, as there is no provision under the law to book them for prostitution. Now, the police have formed special teams in an attempt to bring this under control. Police sources said that they have identified seven police districts in the city that have a higher transgender population. Special police teams have been formed in the seven districts and their work is to keep vigil and send away transgenders found waiting for clients. Police officials pointed out that even in the general sex trade, women involved in prostitution were considered victims. “After the amendment of section 8B in 2006, women are considered victims and are kept in government homes. Transgenders are also considered victims. But, they do not come under any IPC section. Even if we arrest them, we face the problem of remanding them, as there are prisons for men and women only,” said a police official.Official said many transgenders who solicit men, rob them at knifepoint. These cases go unnoticed as the men fear that their image in the society would be tarnished. However, a few months back, the Anti-Vice Squad (AVS) of the Greater Chennai Police arrested a transgender in the city for extorting money from a software engineer. “The engineer had booked the ‘woman’s service’ online. He later made calls to a phone number he was given and he was asked to come near a hotel on Poonamallee High Road. When he arrived in his car, a ‘lady’ wearing jeans got into the back seat. When the ‘lady’ began to talk, he realised that she was a transgender. She then relieved him of his cash at knifepoint, then took him to an ATM and made him withdraw more cash – a total of `12,500. He later approached the AVS,” explained an official from the AVS.The transgender was traced and arrested based on the software engineer’s complaint. At first, the engineer refused to file a complaint fearing his image would be tarnished. Police had to convince him to lodge a complaint,  the officer said. “In this case, we booked her for extortion. But we usually do not get complaints,” said a police official.