The Allahabad High Court today directed the District Magistrate of Allahabad to look into allegations of flesh trade in a crowded locality of the city and consider the option of relocating the commercial sex workers on the outskirts.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Yashwant Varma, passed the order on a Public Interest Litigation filed by one Sunil Chaudhary who alleged that flesh trade was thriving in Meerganj locality of the city, where a number of houses, shops and an Inter College were situated in the vicinity.
The petitioner had annexed information he had obtained through RTI, wherein it was disclosed that a large number of women and minor girls have been rounded up from the locality over the years during raids on premises suspected to be commercial sex trade outlets.
The petitioner has sought a clampdown on flesh trade in Meerganj and relocation of those involved in prostitution, to which the court directed the DM to do the needful while asking the state government to file a counter-affidavit within three weeks.
