How intercity buses are becoming the new hotbeds of prostitution

Passengers onboard a sleeper bus from Chennai to Bengaluru recently woke up to moans and grunts from an upper double berth which had the curtains drawn. The next morning, the crew preparing the vehicle for the return trip found used condoms. When such occurrences repeated, some bus operators complained to the police. The anti-vice squad of police subsequently found that prostitution is rampant on sleeper buses.The squad has not yet been able to book anyone for ‘mobile prostitution’ though it has received complaints, especially from buses travelling from Chennai to Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad and Coimbatore. “At times when such couples engaged in the act were questioned, they claimed to be consenting adults. There’s no way to prove that it was soliciting and prostitution, which are illegal,” said a police officer.But the squad is aware of how the operation take place. “Customers and agents use encrypted chat apps to communicate. Pimps book women after showing clients' photographs, and payments — ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 per trip — are made through UPI. They reserve double berths, usually the last row of the upper deck of sleeper buses. The women and their clients, posing as couples board the bus together, making it difficult for crew members to intervene,” he said.A bus crew member said: “Once onboard, they cover the berth using screens or bedsheets provided for passengers. “Some wait until the lights go out, some others don’t even wait.” For bus cleaners, the day after is an ordeal. “Sometimes we find condoms, sometimes liquor bottles. In such cases we have to send the bedsheets for laundry immediately,” said D Ananthan, who works for a Chennai-Bengaluru bus service. He showed TOI videos of bus crew engaged in heated arguments with couples who were caught in the act and questioned. “When caught, rarely do couples say they are married, maybe because they know they can’t prove it. When they say they are in a relationship, we can only say they can’t cause discomfort to fellow passengers,” said Arun Kumar, a crew member.medium nocaption113739920Police said many of the customers are men who frequently travel between cities on work. “They find this safer than cheap lodges where police raids may take place,” said an anti-vice squad member. “That these bus operators don’t insist on government-issued ID cards make it easier for the clients to remain anonymous even if we are to investigate a case.” Ananthan said he has noticed the same women travelling with different men on the Bengaluru route. “Many of these women appear to be from other states, speaking other languages.”All Omni Bus Owners Association president A Anbalagan said confronting such couples has been tricky. “Not only do they turn aggressive, they also leave damaging reviews against us on ticket booking platforms. Often we have had to tell our drivers to warn such people and let them go without reporting them to police.” As a precaution, some bus operators don’t allow women travelling alone to book double berths.medium nocaption113739972Anti vice-squad officers said chasing intercity buses is tough for the team which is busy searching the usual jaunts — lodges and spas — besides serviced apartments which have become another hotbed of flesh trade. There has been a drop in the number of cases the squad has booked — from an annual average of more than 150 to single digits this year. Less than 10% of cases booked by the squad result in conviction.“Our primary focus is on brothels operating out of rented spaces, including serviced apartments. Rescuing women remains our top priority,” said Rajalakshmi, assistant commissioner of police, anti-vice squad.