Police crackdown on spa, massage centres

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 14

Taking a tough stance against spa-cum-massage centres, the police launched a crackdown on centres operating in the city. These have been closed following police action a few days ago. Some of the centres were indulging in flesh trade.

It is learnt that the police had a laid a trap and sent a dummy customer to these spas. Later, the police conducted a raid and found that these centres were indulging in wrongdoings.

DSP, City 1, Gurjit Singh Romana, said: “All such centres in the city had been closed as a few days ago, the police conducted a checking and found that no centre has been following the norms.”

He said if any centre was running in the city, it was operating illegally and strict action would be taken against it.

It is learnt that it was must for the owners of such centres to install CCTV cameras to capture all entry and exit points and the reception area of the establishments. Owners were responsible to maintain the records of every customer in the form of identify proofs and mobile numbers, failing which they might land in trouble. Even verification of all employees working at such establishments should be done.

Earlier this year, a CIA-I team along with the Kotwali police, headed by DSP (H) Manjot Kaur, set a trap at AUM Day Spa Centre, located on the Goniana road, and arrested five girls allegedly involved in a flesh trade racket.

Sources said prostitution was flourishing in the city and a few spas were indulging in the trade. The functioning of these centres was almost similar with women from the North-East dominating the sector and due to their facial features, they are presented before customers as ‘Thai girls’ to offer ‘Thai massage’, a popular therapy offered by the spa centres.