The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Centre and Delhi Police commissioner on a complaint regarding use of call girls by the tehelka team in exposing the defence-gate scam.
Taking cognizance of a complaint filed by an NGO Shakti Vahini, the commission has asked the Union home ministry and the Delhi Police commissioner to file their replies within six weeks of the issuance of notice as to why they did not take any action on the complaint of the NGO about the use of sex workers

Shakti Vahini, an NGO working for the rights of women, had urged the commission to direct them to act on the complaint filed by it on August 21 and after investigation register a complaint under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956 and other statutory provisions.

Though the Shakti Vahini had also complained against chief executive officer of m/s Buffalo Networks Private Ltd Tarun Tejpal, and tehelka reporters Aniruddha Bahal and Mathew Samuel for using call girls for the exposure, the NHRC notice was confined to only the government and police. It has not taken cognizance of the part seeking the commission to direct Tehelka.Com to furnish video cassettes and transcripts involving the sex workers and help it identify them.


Citing the statutory duty enshrined in Section 10 a of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act and Article 16 of the Convention of Supression of Traffic in person, the complaint had sought intervention of NHRC to rehabilitate the sex workers used by Tehelka.Com.
Shakti Vahini said that journalists in their ostensible endeavour to gather a news story has used three call girls and thrust them upon defence personnel so as to induce them to either part with information or permit the promotion of a fictitious product. The transcript of tehelka tapes showed that sex workers were used by tehelka to entrap and lure army officers so that they could further their fictitious deal.


Moreover, one of the journalists involved in procuring and offering sex workers has mysteriously disappeared. He reportedly also black-mailed one of the army officer as the latter's wife complained.
The whereabouts of sex workers were not known and their physical safety were not known, Shakti Vahini pointed out and said that despite asking the government and the police to investigate the matter and furnish details none of them responded.


Bureau Report