Sex racket: Delhi HC refuses anticipatory bail to massage parlour owner

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a woman accused of running a racket of illegal sexual activities from her massage parlour.

Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta said that considering the grave nature of the allegations, no grounds for anticipatory bail are made out.

The prosecution opposed the bail application and told the court that one of the workers at the massage parlour informed that she was forced to make sexual relations with the clients by the co-accused in the case as well as by the present applicant who is the owner of the massage parlour.

"Considering the evidence on record, it appears that a racket of illegal sexual activities was carried out on the pretext of the massage parlour and young girls were induced to extend sexual favours. The same also duly stands supported by the statement of 'K' (witness) recorded under Section 161 CrPC... The application is accordingly dismissed," said the court in its order dated June 13.

The applicant argued that she has been falsely accused of running a massage parlour illegally with the co-accused and forcing girls to have sexual relations with the clients.

She contended that in the initial FIR in the case, no role was alleged to her and it was the co-accused who was alleged to have inappropriately touched the complainant.

The FIR in the case was registered by the Adarsh Nagar police station for the alleged commission of offences under sections 370(Trafficking of person)/354-A (Sexual harassment) /509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) /34 (common intention) IPC.

The prosecution stated that as per the statement of the complainant, the co-accused had induced her with a handsome salary for sexual favours to be provided to the clients.

The court was informed that during the investigation, it was revealed that the co-accused was communicating with the applicant to show the girls to the clients on video calls.