In the raid conducted in Budhwar Peth, the Pune police had focused on identifying illegal migrants and curbing trafficking.A fact-finding committee set up by gender-justice activists has demanded an inquiry into the alleged police action in February this year at the red-light area in Budhwar Peth. The committee will prepare a report on its recommendations and submit it to the Maharashtra government soon.On Wednesday, the fact-finding committee comprising Meena Seshu from the National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW), Manisha Gupte from MASUM (Pune), Vidya Kulkarni, an independent journalist, and Sayli Atre, from ‘Let’s Play Trust’, a Pune child rights organisation, spoke to mediapersons and said they have sought an immediate, independent, and impartial inquiry into the police action to assess its legality and procedural integrity.Also Read | Lured by jobs, forced into prostitution: 5 illegal Bangladeshi migrants found at Pune brothelIn the raid conducted in Budhwar Peth, the Pune police had focused on identifying illegal migrants and curbing trafficking. They had detained 22 women, including 11 Bangladeshi nationals, in the raid which was carried out from midnight till dawn on February 10 and 11. Four minor school-going girls residing with their families were also detained in the raid. The operation ran into controversy, with social activists crying foul.“We are critically examining the police operation,” Seshu said. “The police took away four girls – two sisters aged 16 and 11 (studying in Class 10 and Class 4 respectively); a 14-year-old girl studying in Class 9; and a 17-year-old girl who was living with the 14-year-old’s family after her mother had passed away.”Seshu alleged that despite the parents presenting valid identification and school documents, the girls were taken into custody, separated from their families, and placed in institutional care till now. The activists decided to set up a fact finding committee, conducted field visits, interviews with affected families, and consultations with relevant authorities to assess the police action, its aftermath and the long-term consequences for the children and their families.“There are serious concerns regarding the manner in which the operation was conducted. Testimonies from affected families reveal that the girls were taken late at night without prior notice, allegedly without adherence to child protection protocols, and in conditions that compromised their dignity and privacy. Parents reported being denied access to their children during initial custody and were not adequately informed about procedures such as medical examinations,” Seshu said.According to Gupte, families and community members have strongly contested this characterisation, emphasising that the children were neither in immediate danger; instead, they were attending school and living with their families. “‘You take daughters away from their mother and call it ‘rescue’—what kind of rescue is this,’ an affected parent told us,” Gupte said. “We have testimonies that claim the police entered residential spaces late at night, conducted repeated questioning and removed the girls without ensuring child-sensitive procedures or maintaining confidentiality,” Gupte alleged.Story continues below this adThe report also examined the role of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which allegedly denied custody of the children to their families on the grounds that the latter were not “fit persons,” citing factors such as single parenthood and raising concerns about living environment and the socio-economic context of the locality.The committee members told reporters that such decisions appear to be influenced by generalised stigma, and assumptions associated with Budhwar Peth as a “high-risk area”, rather than an individualised assessment of each child’s best interests. “The separation of children from their families, disruption of education, and social stigma are identified as significant adverse outcomes,” Seshu pointed out.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:pune