E-Paper
Immoral trafficking: Three foreign nationals among six rounded up from spa centre in Ludhiana
Three of the women rounded up from the spa centre in Ludhiana are from Thailand; the Division number 8 police lodged an FIR against Preet, owner of the spa and manager Ravi
The city police claimed to have busted a racket involved in immoral trafficking being run under the disguise of a spa centre in a shopping mall near Bhai Bala chowk at Ludhiana-Ferozepur road.
The police have rounded up six women, including three foreign nationals, from Blue Lotus spa, while the owner and manager managed to escape.
Three of the women rounded up from the spa centre are from Thailand. The Division number 8 police lodged an FIR against Preet, owner of the spa and manager Ravi.
Inspector Nardev Singh, who is investigating the case, said that the police received information that the owner and manager of the spa were involved in immoral trafficking at the spa center. Following the information, police conducted a raid and rounded up six women.
A case under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Act has been lodged against the accused.
The inspector said that the women told police that the accused forced them into immoral acts.
The women have recorded their statements before the court on Saturday under section 164 of CrPC. A hunt is on for the arrest of the rest of the accused.
He said that the spa centres do not have police verifications of their employees. Moreover, there was no record of the customers.
The commissioner of police had ordered the owners of spa centres to keep a record of customers along with a copy of their photo identity card.
They have also been told that the foreign staff that they hire must be on work visa and not tourist visa and were asked to install CCTVs at entry, exit and reception points and keep the recording for 30 days.
They have also been told to get police verification of their employees done and provide their details to the police station concerned.
They were also ordered to make sure that there is no secret entry or exit passage. Further, the police chief ordered the spa centre owners to not serve liquor, drugs, hookahs or other intoxicants to customers.
On March 13, 2020, ten people, including five women, were arrested for indulging in immoral activities in the name of a spa centre in posh locality in Sarabha Nagar at Sat Paul Mittal road (Malhar road).
On August 11, 2019, the Sarabha Nagar police raided Aura Day spa centre in Waves mall in the city and arrested around 12 people, including five women for immoral trafficking
