Intro: Illegal taxi operators double up as pimps and rampantly run a sex racket luring inbound passengers at the Kolkata international airport, reveals an investigative report by Tehelka SIT
It was a Covid time in India. The country was witnessing a sharp dip in coronavirus cases. The lockdown was gradually lifting from the country. We were on an official visit to West Bengal’s capital Kolkata. According to my source, despite being a sensitive place, Kolkata airport has some stories. Unfortunately not positive but negative stories. But which in the interest of the nation and for the general public, need to be told.
Soon, one fine morning after the breakfast, we went to Kolkata airport for the story. The aviation was in revival mode in the country after a pandemic year. And so were the touts on the ground. The Kolkata airport was bustling with activity. Passengers were running here and there looking for taxis. Gangs of illegal taxi operators at Kolkata’s airport had also made a comeback. They were seen running behind passengers, trying to lure them to prostitutes. Just at that time, at an arrival gate number 5, for the international passengers, Tehelka reporter met Sanjiv, who was a tout and a taxi operator by profession. We posed as businessmen to Sanjiv. Immediately after learning that we are from Delhi and have come to Kolkata for some business engagement, Sanjiv offered us minor girls in the age group of 14 and 15 for sex and massage. “I will give you minor girls for sex and massage, in the age group of 16 and 18. If you need more younger, than I can also fetch 14 and 15 years old girls for sex and massage for you,” said Sanjiv.
After this, Sanjiv had a detailed discussion with Tehelka reporter. Giving him a variety of offers of sex and massage with minor girls.
Reporter…. “ Kitni badi” ?
Sanjiv…. “Wo hi 18…16”.
Reporter…. “Ussey kum” ?
Sanjiv…. “15, 14”.
Reporter…. “15 saal ki ladki mil jayegi” ?
Sanjiv…. “ Aaram se”.
Reporter…. “Massage ke liye ya le jaa bhi sakte hai” ?
Sanjiv…. “Sabhi ke liye”.
Reporter…. “Aisa bolte hai, hota nahin hai”?
Sanjiv “Nahin hoga to paisey nahin lega. Mera gaadi wala nahin lega”.
[ Sanjiv assured us that we will get minor girl of 14-15 years of age for sex and massage. He assured that if we do not get the minor as promised by him, he will not take money from us]
Sanjiv said that he has taken many passengers of his to the concerned massage centre. According to him, the minor girl at the massage centre will give us body massage and after that we can have sex with her at the same centre. Without the massage centre owner ever knowing about it.
Reporter…. “Ye jo aap 15 saal ki ladki aap bata rahe ho.. 14-15 saal ki”.
Sanjiv…. “Wo massage kar degi aap ka”.
Reporter…. “Wo hamari body massage kar degi aur uske alawa”?
Sanjiv…. “Usko le jayega. Usko bolega paisa dega. Kaam kar dega”.
Reporter…. “Ladki ka kaam kar dega wahin” ?
Sanjiv…. “Wo wahin hoga”.
Reporter….. “Massage centre mein. Massage centre wala allow nahin karega na” ?
Sanjiv…. “Wo janega kaisey. Wo janega hi nahin”?
Reporter…. “Usko pata hi nahin chalega massage centre wale ko ? Ladki mana kare phir”?
Sanjiv…. “Bol raha hoon hoga. Hum lekar gaya hai, kitna guest wahan par”.
Reporter…. “Usi massage centre main wahan par”?
Sanjiv…. “ Haan”.
[ Sanjiv said that at the same massage centre, we can have sex with the minor girl after taking body massage from her. That too without the knowledge of the massage centre owner. We will have to assure the girl that she will get money from us for the sex with her. And the girl will not say no to our proposal. According to Sanjiv, he is saying all this because he has been to the same massage centre earlier with other passengers for sex and massage.]
Now Sanjiv told us the massage rate.
Sanjiv…. “Massage ka 2000-2500 rupay lagega”.
Reporter…. “Hain ji”?
Sanjiv…. “2000 rupay main massage karega”.
Reporter…. “2000 rupay main massage karega”?
Sanjiv…. “Bheetar main aap baat karogey kitna lagega kaam, wo bolega itna lagega. Apko pasand karega.. nahin to nahin karega”.
Reporter…. “Usne mana kar diya phir” ?
Sanjiv…. “Karega”.
[ Now Sanjiv told us the massage rate, which is Rs 2000 to Rs 2500]
Apart from the massage centre, Sanjiv told us that he can arrange a hotel for us where we can have sex with women provided by him.
Sanjiv…. “ Ladki chahiye. Sab mil jayega aapko”.
Reporter…. “Dilwaogey” ?
Sanjiv… “Haan”.
Reporter…. “Batao kahan le chalogey” ?
Sanjiv… “Hotel main kar dengey”.
Reporter… “Kaun-sa hotel”.?
Sanjiv…. “………Hotel”.
Reporter…. “Kaun sa hotel” ?
Sanjiv…. “Chaliye na mere saath. Kitna chahiye aapko, 2 chahiye ya 3” ?
Reporter….. “2 hain 2 alag-alag rooms hongey”.
[Sanjiv told us that he has a tie-up with a hotel too, where we can have sex with women provided by him. It can be 2-3 women, whatever we want.].
Sanjiv now revealed us the money he will charge for providing girls in a hotel room.
Reporter…. “Poorey din ka kitna logey” ?
Sanjiv…. “2000 rupay de dijiyaga”.
Reporter….. “Poorey din ka 2000 rupay” ?
Sanjiv…. “Massage karna hai, massage karwa dengey”.
Reporter…. “ Massage karwa dogey kahan” ?
Sanjiv…. “ Chaliye ……. Mall main. Achcha ladki. Bachcha ladki”.
[ Sanjiv said he will charge Rs 2000 for sex with a woman for a full day in a hotel room. Apart from that he said he can take us to a Mall, where we can have body massage from the minor girls]
But Sanjiv had some more surprises in store. He then said that he had a variety of women at his disposal, including married women. We should tell him our choice, he will provide us that.
Sanjiv…. “ Main apne dost ko phone karunga, wo ladki lekar ayega”.
Reporter….. “Wo ladki kitne saal ki hogi” ?
Sanjiv…. “ Badi chahiye. Ladki chahiye, aapko mil jayegi. Shaadi wali shaadi waala”.
Reporter…. “Shaadi shuda aurat bhi mil jayegi” ?
Sanjiv…. “Haan, har tarah ka mil jayega”.
[According to Sanjiv, he has a variety of women with him, and can even fetch married women for us. We should just tell him our choice he will provide us that for sex.]
This was Sanjiv for you. A taxi operator, standing right in front of the International gate no 5, of Kolkata airport, offering us a variety of women to choose from: minor, young or married for sex and massage. And this, he boasted, he offered to most of his passengers who board his taxi.
However, the story doesn’t end here. We met another Taxi operator, Ravidas at the Kolkata airport, gate number 1B, who promised to take us to “Sonagachi”, said to be Asia’s largest Red-Light area situated in central Kolkata. Ravidas said that at Sonagachi, we can watch nude dance of a woman for one hour and can also have sex with her afterwards. All for money.
Ravidas…. “Sonagachi mein ek ghantey dance aur naked dance. Ek aadmi ko shot karne dega”.
Reporter…. “Ladki kapdey utar kar dance karegi”?
Ravidas…. “ Haan, ek ghanta”.
Ravidas…. “ 4-5 Aadmi dekh sakta hai”.
Reporter…. “ Kharcha kitna”. ?
Ravidas…. “4000, 4500, 6000. Jaisa ladki lijiyega”.
Reporter…. “Aap humein lekar chalengey” ?
Ravidas…. “Abhi” ?
Reporter…. “ Shaam ko, jab bhi, kal-val”.
Ravidas….. “Jab boliyega”.
Reporter….. “ Aapki setting hai wahan” ?
Ravidas…. “Ekdum”.
[Ravidas said that he will take us to Sonagachi, said to be largest Red-light area of Asia situated in the central Kolkata. There we can watch nude dance of a woman for an hour and later can also have sex with her. All for money. The charges will be Rs 4000-4500-6000. All depend on the woman we choose. He further said that we need not to worry about anything else as he has an understanding with the people at Sonagachi]
Ravidas assured us that if we go to Sonagachi, we should not be fear about police raid as he pays money to the police. He also said that he has to catch a dalal and pay him money at Sonagachi. Without whom we will get nothing. Ravidas said that all this is his regular work.
Reporter…. “Police ka koi raid”?
Ravidas…. “ Koi raid nahin. Police ka humein maloom hai. Night mein jaaney se police ko 100 rupay dene ka. Dekhiye dalal pakadna padega. Uske bina kuch nahin milega”.
Reporter…. “Dalal aapke paas hai” ?
Ravidas…. “Haan, hum logon ka to kaam hi ye sab hai. Wo log [ Dalal ] 200-500 rupay khayega”.
[Ravidas sought to allay our fears of police raid while visiting Sonagachi, explaining that he pays money to the cops to keep them away. He said he will catch hold of a dalal (pimp), and pay him money to arrange everything for us. He further said he knows dalals at Sonagachi as he is a regular visitor to the place]
When asked whether we can get women in our hotel room? Ravidas told us that indeed we can get woman in our hotel room. But their rates will be different. Rs 10,000-12000 and 15000 per night. How much we finally pay up will depend on the type of woman we choose, said Ravidas. He said he would send us their photographs on our phone and then we can tell him our choice. And as soon as we select a woman from the photographs, he will delete them all from his phone, adds Ravidas.
Reporter…. “ Agar humein hotel mein ladki bulani ho to” ?
Ravidas…. “Hotel main ayegi ladki. 10,000-12,000 -15,000”.
Reporter…. “Ek raat ka”?
Ravidas…. “Ek raat ka”.
Reporter…. “Us level ki ladki hogi”?
Ravidas…. “Us level ki. Model”.
Reporter…. “Aap photo bhejo”?
Ravidas…. “10-15 minutes lagega. Photo mangana padta hai. Ghar mein phone mein nahin rakhte. Kaam khatm, sab delete”.
[ Ravidas said that he can also arrange girls for us in our hotel room. But their rates will range between Rs 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000. He boasted that that some of them would be as stylish as models. However he hastened to add that he doesn’t keep the women’s photographs in his mobile phone as he has to go home. He deletes them as soon as his work is over]
After Ravidas, Tehelka now met Digvijay Babu, another Taxi operator at Kolkata airport. Who was waiting for an ‘army colonel’ coming to Kolkata from Haryana, to pick and drop him in some Kolkata hotel along with two Bengali women for having fun. While Digvijay was waiting for the flight to land at Kolkata airport, he started having a candid conversation with us.
Reporter…. “Yahan pub wagehrah nahin hain kya”?
Digvijay…. “Bahut kuch hai sir. Abhi dekhiye sir jo saheb aa rahe hai, colonel saheb aa rahe hai”.
Reporter… “Achcha aap colonel saheb ke intezar main khadey hain… kahan se” ?
Digvijay…. “Aa rahe hain Haryana se aa rahe hain. To unko lekar jayengey. 2 items ayengi”.
Reporter…. “Colonel saheb ke saath” ?
Digvijay…. “Nahin, Bengal se. Hotel le jayengey. Rahengey apna aish se”.
[Digvijay told Tehelka that he is waiting for some army colonel coming from Haryana to Kolkata. He will pick him from the airport and drop him in some Kolkata hotel along with two Bengali women for enjoyment]
Digvijay further revealed a hotel name, situated in Kolkata, which supplies women to its customer, who stays in their hotel. According to Digvijay, the hotel have women catalogue. The women selected from the catalogue by the customer, is provided in his room. According to Digvijay, since the hotel belongs to a cop, there won’t be any police raid.
Digvijay…. “Ek hotel hai pass main……..Usmein kya apko night seva milega. Wo catalogue dikha dega. Jaisa item apko chahiye mil jayega.
Digvijay….. “Wo hotel prashasan ke aadmi ka hai. Police waley ka hotel hai”.
Reporter…. “Police ki raid”?
Digvijay…. “Police ki raid-vaid nahin hoti hai sir”.
Tehelka went to unearth the sex on sale racket at Kolkata airport. But during this investigation, discovered that tose running sex racket at Kolkata airport luring inbound passengers, domestic and International, to red-light districts, underage masseuse, and elite sex workers, are also running illegal taxis from the airport. Digvijay Babu, who was candidly talking about providing women for sex in Kolkata hotel some time ago, now revealed as to how the gangs of illegal taxi operators are illegally running taxis from Kolkata airport.
Reporter…. “Kya ye taxi yahan se chalna airport se aisey chalna allowed nahin hai kya”?
Digvijay…. “Nahin”.
Reporter…. “Kyon” ?
Digvijay…. “Pre-paid allowed hai. Hum log pre-paid mein nahin chalatey hai”.
Reporter…. “Ola-uber mein bhi nahin chalatey” ?
Digvijay…. “Ola-Uber mein bhi nahin chalatey”.
Reporter…. “Aisey allowed nahin hai” ?
Digvijay…. “Aisey allowed nahin. Lekin humari union hai. Hum local hai. Hum apne bal bootey pe chalatey hai”.
Reporter…. “ Matlab aapki dabangai”?
Digvijay….. “Dabangai samjho”.
[According to Digvijay, at Kolkata airport, only pre-paid taxis and Ola-Uber can pick passengers from the airport. Others are not allowed. But under the protection of their unions, they illegally run taxis at the airport and pick passengers from there].
According to Tehelka sources, only pre-paid taxis and Ola-Uber can pick passengers from the Kolkata airport. Others are not even allowed to enter the airport premises. But there are number of illegal operators in Kolkata who are running taxis from the airport and picking passengers by allegedly paying money to the police. This is what Digvijay also told us, when we asked him to pick our passenger coming from Delhi to Kolkata within a fortnight.
Reporter…. “15 din main apko client dunga”. Kolkata key, Delhi se airport se. Lekin aap ye dekh lena kabhi Kolkata police apko airport par entry na de, Kolkata mein” ?
Digvijay…. “Nahin prashasan se lekar sab mera understanding hai. Main samajh lunga”.
Reporter…. “Aisa na ho client yahan par aaye aur gaadi na miley” ?
Digvijay…. “Hamari gaadi jis gate par boliyega us gate par lagwa dengey”.
Digvijay….. “Ek bhi gaadi aisi nahin hai main decision leta hoon saara thana- pana hum dekhta hoon. Tension mat lijiye”
Reporter…. “Achchi setting hai police-volice mein”.
[ Digvijay assured us that the client we would be sending to him from Delhi will definitely get a taxi at the Kolkata airport. There is no chance that Kolkata police will not allow his taxi to enter the airport. He says he will manage the police.]
Digvijay now revealed that all unions have their respective fixed gates at the Kolkata airport from where they run their illegal taxis. Party is the same.
Reporter…. “Yahan outline mein kitna gaadiyan hai airport par total mein” ?
Digvijay…. “ Har union ka fix alag-alag hai. Har gate ki union alag-alag hai. Party ek hi hai”.
[ Digvijay confessed that separate unions have their respective gates at Kolkata airport from where they pick passengers. There are separate unions, but the party is the same]
Ravidas who promised us to provide women for sex at Sonagachi disclosed that he is also running an illegal taxi from the Kolkata airport. Posing as a businessmen, we asked Ravidas whether he can help us in running our taxis from the Kolkata airport.? To this, Ravidas nodded in affirmative and told us its economics. The amount of money we will earn per day from illegal taxi business.
Reporter…. “Jo gaadi lagegi hamari, uska kya rate hoga” ?
Ravidas…. “ Kya rate hoga boley to” ?
Reporter…. “Aap humein kitna dogey” ?
Ravidas…. “Private gaadi 500, commercial gaadi 700 rupay”.
Reporter…. “Private gaadi agar hum lagatey hai to 500 rupay daily” ?
Ravidas…. “500 rupay daily”.
Reporter….. “Aur commercial lagatey hai to” ?
Ravidas…. “700 rupay”.
Reporter…. “700 rupay daily.. Yaar private mein kum de rahe ho aap” ?
Ravidas…. “Private mein jo gaadi raastey main police pakrega, wo hum dekhengey na.”
[ Ravidas told us that we will get Rs 500 daily for attaching our private taxi with him. And Rs 700 for a commercial taxi. ]
Now Ravidas revealed as to how he is running illegal taxi from the Kolkata airport with the help of the police.
Reporter…. “Aisa na ho Kolkata airport par hamari gaadi ki entry na ho” ?
Ravidas…. “Kyon entry nahin hoga” ?
Reporter…. “Kahin police waley mana kar dey” ?
Ravidas…. “ To hum log hain na”.
Reporter…. “Police mein setting hai”.?
Ravidas…. “Hum logon ka police se setting hai. Parking ki setting hai. Lekin aapko thodi pata chalega aapki gaadi hai. Hum gaadi chalayega to hamari gaadi hai”.
[ Ravidas told us that we don’t have to worry about our taxi not getting entry into Kolkata airport. He reassured as that he has an understanding with the police in this regard.]
Now Ravidas explained the amount of money they are paying to the police to run their taxis illegally from the Kolkata airport.
Reporter… “Achcha jo police ko paisa dena hoga wo hume to nahin dena hoga” ?
Ravidas…. “Police ko kaat ke ek gaadi par 100 rupay karkey”.
Reporter…. “Ek hi to police hai traffic police” ?
Ravidas… “Jo jitna gaadi chalta hai. Ek gaadi ka 100 rupay deta hai”.
Reporter…. “ Daily”?
Ravidas… “Daily”.
Reporter… “Police ko”?
Ravidas…. “Traffic alag hai, airport ka police alag hai”.
Reporter…. “To daily kitna lagta hai tumhara” ?
Ravidas…. “Daily 200 rupay”.
[ Ravidas told us about the money they are paying to the police daily]
Ravidas disclosed that they are running illegal taxis from the Kolkata airport in shifts. Also all contractors have divided airport gates among themselves. And they don’t encroach on each other territories.
Reporter…. “ To 120 gaadiyon ka to bahut ho gaya daily ka? Kitna hoga 120 gaadiyon ka”
Ravidas….3 shift chalta hai. Jaisey sochiye hum chalta hai, subah 2 baje se 3 baje tak chalta hai.” Aisey shifting chalti hai. Ek saath nahin chalta hai. 120 gaadi mein nahin chalta hai. Night mein chalta hai. Din mein chalta hai. Morning mein chalta hai.
Reporter…. “Achcha gate ka bhi alag-alag hoga. Ye gate mera”?
Ravidas …. “Haan, hum logon ka ye gate hai”.
Reporter…. “1B”
Ravidas…. “Haan, wo ladka idhar nahin ayega hum udhar nahin jayega”.
[ Ravidas explained how illegal taxis at the Kolkata airport are run in shifts. They have also divided airport gates among themselves. So that everyone should remain confined to his own territory]
At the International gate number 5 of the Kolkata airport, we met Manoj Singh, another contractor running illegal taxi from the airport. Manoj told us that he illegally parks his taxi at the airport. However, when any VIP comes to the airport, for which he is alerted beforehand, he removes his illegally parked taxi and dumps it in the parking lot.
Manoj…. “Dekhiye humarey yahan koi VIP aata hai na. Saaf bol rahe hai. Humare koi VIP aata hai na to humko bol detey hai gaadi hataney ko. Hum log gaadi ko parking mein laga dete hai. Ye parking hai hum log ye karte hai.
Manoj…. “Dekhiye is gaadi se lekar us gaadi tak hamara hai yahan se lekar utni door tak humari hai. 40 gaadi humari hai”.
Reporter…. “Aapki union ki 40 gaadi” ?
Manoj…. “ Union ki 40 gaadi hai”.
Reporter…. “Waisey aapki gaadiyan lagi rehti hai” ?
Manoj…. “ Haan”.
Reporter…. “Police ka koi lafda nahin hai” ?
Manoj…. “Police ka koi lafda nahin hai. Agar koi VVIP ayega to police humko bol deti hai”.
[ Manoj told us that the union he is working with has 40 taxis. They park them all at the airport outline. They remove them only when any VIP arrives at the Kolkata airport, for which they get prior information. In that case they park their taxis in the assigned parking lot.]
While we were talking to Manoj, we met Vikas Dhar, another contractor running taxis from the Kolkata airport. Vikas said that he is paying money every month to the police to run illegal taxis from the airport.
Reporter…. “Koi police -volice ka lafda to nahin hai airport par” ?
Vikas…. “Kuch nahin, kuch nahin. Hum sab log monthly deta hai na. Parking deta. Monthly deta”.
Reporter…. “Police ko” ?
Vikas… “Haan”.
[ Vikas told Tehelka that every month he is paying the police to run his illegal taxi network from Kolkata airport]
Gone are the days when the world’s oldest profession – prostitution – was stuck to the brothels in various parts of the country. During the past few years, the trend has changed. Now fulfilling fantasies is just a call away. Right from having oneself picked up at the airport and arranging their one’s stay at a hotel, fixing a meeting with women, and keeping the cops away, all is being done by illegal taxi operators who double as pimps at Kolkata airport.
Tehelka investigative reporter unearthed two stories at Kolkata airport. First, the gangs of illegal taxi operators cocking a snook at the rulebook at Kolkata’s airport. Second, these gangs of illegal taxi operators selling sex outside an international airport at Kolkata. By luring inbound passengers, domestic and international, to the city’s red-light district, massage and sex with the underage and to elite sex workers.
