As the entire nation is in combat mode against the deadly coronavirus, sex trade racketeers have moved to online services to beat the lockdown and cater to select customers at a premium. Sleuths of the Thane (rural) police busted a high profile prostitution racket which was operating under the guise of a spa and wellness center in a posh residential locality amid the lockdown in Kashimira on Tuesday.
While two people including the cashier and manager of the establishment were booked, a 33-year-old woman was rescued from the clutches of the flesh trade racketeers on Wednesday. However, the owner of the spa who is the actual beneficiary of the immoral trade is yet to be arrested.
Acting on a tip-off about the flesh trade activities, a team led by Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Hazare deputed a decoy customer to establish contact and strike a deal with the spa operator.
After confirming the authenticity of the information, the police team swooped down on the Level 2 Spa in the posh Poonam Estate area. Two women including the cashier (aged 20 years) and manager (aged 33 years) of the shady establishment were caught red handed while accepting Rs. 4,000 for facilitating the rendezvous. The police rescued one woman- a widow who was allegedly lured and pushed into the flesh trade activities.
A case under relevant sections of the IPC, Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) and Maharashtra Covid-19 rules has been registered against the accused trio who allegedly floated online advertisements on prominent web portals to lure potential clientele by offering massage services.
The rescued woman was sent to a rehabilitation center. Although the coronavirus-induced lockdown had been partially relaxed, the state government has not allowed spas to resume operations.
Moreover the twin-city is under complete lockdown owing to an alarming surge in Covid-19 cases for the past one month. Meanwhile the arrested accused were remanded to judicial custody after they were produced before the District Sessions Court, Thane.
