16 ‘sex workers’ rounded up in Shillong

Meghalaya police on Saturday rounded up 16 people, allegedly involved in sex work, from public places and near a religious institution in the commercial hub of Khyndailad, Police Bazar, police informed on Sunday.
In a statement, Vivek Syiem, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills, said, a vice raid was conducted on Saturday night under the supervision of additional SP (Traffic), Lovish Garg, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Pyrursla, B. Wanswet and other police officers, in the areas of Police Bazar, Presbyterian Church (Police Bazar), IGP Point, and other important public places where complaints have been regularly received from the general public regarding obscene acts, solicitation, and public nuisance caused by sex workers.
“In the course of raid it was seen that sex workers were operating in the aforesaid public places, engaging in prostitution and soliciting by approaching passersby, making gestures, and attempting to attract customers, thereby causing annoyance, obstruction, and disturbance to the general public and also affecting the sanctity of nearby religious places and important public locations,” he stated.
Syiem said a case under 110 Meghalaya Police Act registered against them.
In a similar crackdown conducted by the police under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act in multiple locations in the capital city on March 29 last, 16 individuals were arrested, following complaints from citizens about alleged prostitution activities.