Gurgaon gang-rape: The ugly side of ‘help’ culture

They are known as female escorts or by a comparatively polite synonym ‘help’. Working in shifts that begin at 9 pm and end at 2 am, they are found hanging around pubs. Depending on money offered- ranging anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000- they accompany male visitors into the pub, dance with them, share drinks and offer ‘other services’. While a majority of them are not employees of the pubs, some take commissions for bringing in men and making them loyal customers.

According to the Gurgaon police, the 23-year-old victim of yesterday’s gang- rape is one of them.

“She was not associated with the pub. She used to accompany men to pubs,” Maheshwar Dayal, DCP (crime), Gurgaon, told Firstpost.

While some may see the declaration that the victim a female escort may be a tactic of the police to convey the message that she had invited trouble, Dayal’s statement points out to a culture that thriving in pubs in Delhi and NCR.

However, working as a female escort does not mean she was inviting rape; and male customers should know where to draw a line. Her presence in the pub after midnight was also not a crime. However, the fact is that the availability of female escorts or ‘help’ has added a new dimension to pub culture in the nation’s capital.

For pub owners, it is a lucrative deal as female escorts increase business.

They are offered payments by single men who want to enter ‘couples only’ events at pubs or pubs which have curbs on ‘stag’ entry. Then there are groups consisting of men who are on the look out for a girl to dance with.

“They deal with the client outside the pub. While they are inside with men, we don’t know whether they are actually with them or are just escorting them for money. It is impossible to differentiate,” said a Gurgaon pub owner, requesting anonymity.

On many occasions, if a deal goes sour  the result is a brawl. There are many instances when women alleged that they did not get the promised money. Sometimes, a client looks out for a particular escort and when he finds her accompanying someone else, he turns violent, said a pub owner.

According to the police, the accused in this case were known to the victim and they knew her shift timings.

“They were waiting for her to come out of the mall," Dayal said.

The police is still to make arrests in the case.