From smart city to sex city: Flesh trade in Odisha capital on a high

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 22:

Sex trade is beginning to boom in Bhubaneswar with sex workers from Pune, Ahmedabad, Shimla, Raipur and other places moving in to Odisha capital. According to sources, the global network of prostitution is being operated from Bhubaneswar with its net worth valued at approximately Rs 20 crore every month.

“People come from several cities of the country, as well as from foreign countries to Bhubaneswar. This city’s lifestyle has also undergone a drastic change,” says Sonali (name changed) from Kolkata, who has recently started an escort service in the city.

Apart from call girls, these escort services also offers gigolos and massage services which have a rising demand. While about Rs. 6 crores is spent on travel, payments and other services, the remaining Rs. 11 crores goes to the middlemen and the racket kingpins. Similarly, gigolo service accounts for about Rs. 2 crores with massage parlours profiting the rest.

It may be recalled that Commissionerate Police of Twin City had arrested sex racket kingpin Sunil Meher on April 21 from Kolkata airport. Upon interrogation and subsequent investigation it was revealed that Sunil’s income touched Rs. 50 lakhs per month. However, despite his arrest, the prostitution continues to increase with around 500 such middlemen running their business in the city.