Mumbai Diary: Sex workers double up as underworld couriers

Mumbai: In the days of the Maharajas and Emperors, prostitutes and dancing girls were often used as human couriers to ferry secret messages both within and outside the kingdom. These women and even eunuchs would sneak in and out unnoticed with an important piece of information that could often lead to a surprise attack or even the quick retreat of a person. And now, the underworld seems to have picked up a leaf out of the ancient practice. The dons of the underworld are now using prostitutes and out-of-work dance bar girls to ferry their messages and tip-offs to the Arabian Gulf.

It so happens that after Home Minister RR Patil put a permanent ban on dance bars, the girls who performed at these bars for a living had been rendered jobless. In a quest to put food on their tables, these girls took to prostitution and even migrated to greener pastures elsewhere.

One such route led the girls to the cash-rich Arab Sheikhs in the Persian Gulf. These girls would fly out over special occasions like New Year's, Christmas and even during Ramazan Eid. Their task is quite simple, and they earn mega bucks -- good enough to help them survive an entire year.

These girls entertain the Sheikhs in the evenings, but during the day they have plenty of time to kill. And by simply passing on information to certain goons holed out in the Arab cities they make a few extra bucks. The message is relayed to the bargirl, and she in turn delivers the instructions to the gangster. The sheer brilliance of this procedure is that none of the cellphones that the bargirls carry are under surveillance by the intelligence agencies. In fact up until last month, this system was one of the most foolproof procedures for the underworld.

However, last month during a routine investigation, a bar girl let slip the secret of her sudden riches when cops quizzed her over a real estate deal. The girl was found buying a Rs 30 lakh flat in an all-cash deal. On checking her recent activities it came to light that the girl had made over 40 trips to countries in the Middle East in the last year. She claimed to have entertained clients in the Middle East and passed on a few messages for which she was rewarded handsomely. During interrogation, it came to light that these messages originated from certain underworld gangs in Mumbai and were delivered to their gangsters in the Gulf.

Here is just one more example of how the Underworld stays a step ahead of investigating agencies.

Govindas insured for Rs 1 lakh

Going by the way human pyramids keep taking a tumble during the Janmashtami festival, insurance companies are making a killing with over 15,000 govindas insured for the festival this year. The Bhartiya Janta Party in Mumbai has registered and insured close to 15,000 people who are part of the Human pyramids in the city. While some have been insured for Rs 15,000, there are others who have been insured for a princely figure of Rs 1 lakh each. Now that sure is a prized horse, so to speak.

Come to think of it, the govindas risk life and limb year after year for the huge cash prizes. The money that they can make for a few hours of climbing runs into lakhs of rupees. Only last year, at least three major political parties offered Rs 10 lakh and above as prize money to break their handis. No wonder all common sense is lost during the festival.

On the other hand, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has roped in, quite literally, trekking and climbing experts to teach the govindas a trick or two about safe climbing. The trekking experts will teach the govindas how to use a relay rope to ensure that the top three to five pyramids do not collapse on the foundation circle down below. Over the years there have been a number of deaths and serious injuries owing to such falls.

Taking no chances this time, the MNS is trying every trick in the box to ensure an injury free festival. Will it work? Only time will tell, if the govindas are able to break the handis or a few more bones.

Skywalks turn into bedrooms for slum dwellers

The state government built foot over bridges and skywalks across the city to enable pedestrians to walk freely without the fear of slowing down vehicular traffic. However, these gigantic structures that make money through advertising and outdoor banners for the state agencies, are now serving as open-air bedrooms for squatters and slum dwellers across the city.

The slum dwellers can be seen lining up their mattresses and beddings and even have favourite sleeping spots on every bridge. Apparently, each bridge has one person who is in-charge of the sleeping spots, and this person collects a daily bed charge from the squatters.

From Rs 2 to Rs 10, a sleeping spot is available on a brand new foot-over bridge. It's a city of dreams, for some at least.

Pregnant women get special Western benefits

The fact that Mumbai's local trains are packed like sardines at any given time of the day is common knowledge.

But during peak hours that space crunch is ten times worse. Women commuters have a special bogie in each local train, in fact they have 3 bogies reserved for them. However, even then there is no space for women to get in. Now imagine the fate of pregnant women who have to travel to and from work in this mad rush.

Keeping that in mind, the Western Railway has allowed pregnant women to travel in the compartment reserved for the handicapped. With this new lease, pregnant women on the Western Railway are pleased, but their counterparts using the services of the Central Railway don't share the same benefits. The female commuters on the Central Railway still have to jostle for space in the women's bogie and the general compartments.

Sometimes going West is the best direction to take.