Graphics by Maddiwar Ajit Kumar.
As darkness settles over Sonagachi, the lanes change character. Crowds grow, doors open and close, and men move between establishments as women wait inside rooms or near entrances. Conversations become brief, and one question dominates: how much, and for how long?
Bhaskar English enters the network
During a night inside Sonagachi, the Bhaskar English team found that the business involves more than a customer and a sex worker. Intermediaries and gatekeepers often control access, discuss prices, and direct customers towards different establishments.
Graphics by Maddiwar Ajit Kumar.
Ten minutes can change everything
At one establishment, the team was offered different arrangements depending on the time involved. A brief performance was offered for around 10 minutes for ₹3200, while another arrangement involved a skin-tight outfit for approximately 40 minutes.
For sexual contact, an additional ₹2,200 was demanded for a 30-minute session. The timing was strictly controlled. When the 30 minutes ended, someone outside knocked on the door, signalling that the allotted time was over.
Intermediaries often acted as go-betweens, introducing customers, negotiating prices, and directing them to rooms.
Hourly rates vary
Elsewhere, the team encountered prices ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000 per hour. There was no uniform rate card. Prices appeared to vary depending on the establishment, the worker and the arrangement being negotiated. Intermediaries frequently stood between customers and women, introducing customers, discussing prices and directing them towards rooms.
Customers try to bypass middlemen
Some customers attempted to establish direct contact with workers. The Bhaskar English team saw customers asking women for their phone numbers so they could contact them directly during future visits instead of going through intermediaries.
A gatekeeper claimed weekend tips could add ₹15,000 to his monthly income.
Gatekeeper claims additional income
The team also spoke to a gatekeeper who said he had worked in the area for around 11 years. He claimed to earn a monthly salary of around ₹15,000.
He further claimed that people leaving through the entrance sometimes paid him ₹20 to allow them to pass. According to him, these payments could add up to around ₹15,000 more in additional income on weekend nights.
Graphics by Maddiwar Ajit Kumar.
Unverified police payment claim
The gatekeeper also alleged that people caught by police sometimes pay between ₹300 and ₹500 per person to settle the matter.
The Bhaskar English team could not independently verify this allegation.
Police patrolling was visible during the team’s night in Sonagachi, with personnel present at different points to maintain security and prevent untoward incidents.
Professionals among visitors
The gatekeeper also claimed that people from different sections of society, including senior professionals and government officials, visit Sonagachi. The night inside Sonagachi revealed a system where access, time, and money are closely connected. Rates vary, intermediaries negotiate and gatekeepers monitor movement.
But beyond the money changing hands is another story: the lives of the women working inside these establishments and the questions surrounding vulnerability, coercion, and underage presence.
