Avoid staying in the scores of glitzy hotels along Kalyani Expressway in northern fringes of Kolkata. Those are prostitution dens

I (Deep Banerjee, Founder - Indian Roadie, Backpacking India On Road) am based out of Kolkata. I have always maintained that I am most uncomfortable driving around in West Bengal. If a person like me who has grown up and worked in WB and has travelled widely across India mainly for work and partially for vacation, spanning over nearly four decades expresses such fears, there must be a lot of substance in such apprehensions. 

For roadies from Odisha and the five Southern states who prefer to drive via Kolkata during their trips to Darjeeling hills, Dooars, Sikkim, Bhutan and the seven North Eastern states, a need might arise to halt in Kolkata or any place in South Bengal. Please try to stay in a hotel within Kolkata (south of Kaikhali), Salt Lake or between Asansol and Durgapur or in Tarapith, Shantiniketan, Bankura, Bishnupur, Midnapore or Kharagpur. 

I myself drive to the districts of Nadia and North 24 Parganas quite often. While driving from/ to Kolkata, I normally take the 35 kms stretch of accident and crime prone Kalyani Expressway from Nimta to Kampa Morh (near Naihati) via Sodepur and Barrackpur to avoid unruly traffic of NH12 (erstwhile, NH34) in Barasat. 

I keep wondering who on earth patronises the scores of bars and glitzy hotels which have sprouted on both sides of Kalyani Expressway ever since 2012. Occasionally it does get dark while returning to Kolkata and I have always had that sense of uneasiness and fear on the stated stretch. I have always had the hunch that something seriously wrong must be going on in those well lighted but sleazy looking hotels. 

The police administration in spite of knowing everything allowed every nonsense to happen under their nose. Suddenly the police have started raiding these hotels and it's being reported that on the intervening night of 30th and 31st July 2021, a whopping 21 high profile callgirls were nabbed along with more men and women from a hotel. The media channels are now saying that barring a miniscule few, all the hotels are used for prostitution or criminal activities. 

It's my advice to roadies to strictly avoid staying back at any of the hotels on Kalyani Expressway and Belgharia Expressway in North 24 Parganas district and Kona Expressway in Howrah district. For clarification of doubts please post your query in the comments section. 

The administration is surely in league with those who are promoting the illicit activities. The former are the real culprits and deserve the 'stick' in the proverbial 'Carrot N Stick'. 

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* Indian Roadie Safety Tips 

* Carrot N Stick 

* How India Travels