After an extended lull, officials from the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate have once again trained their attention on tightening the screws on immoral and vulgar activities in the twin-city.
Another high profile prostitution racket which was operating under the guise of a salon and spa was busted by the MBVV cops in Kashimira on Thursday evening.
While three people including the female pimp and operator were arrested and booked under the under section 370 of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA), two women who were allegedly forced into the flesh trade were rescued from the establishment at around 5 pm on Thursday.
As usual, action eludes the owners of the premises who are also beneficiaries of the immoral trade. In response to a tip-off that the spa was offering sexual services to its customers, a team under the instructions of DCP-Amit Kale 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 Sagar Health Spa located in the Penkarpada area of Kashimira. The accused were caught while accepting Rs 4,500 from the police decoy for facilitating the rendezvous. Dozens of spas have mushroomed in almost every nook and cranny of the twin-city.
Some have employed foreign nationals and are brazenly floating online advertisements on prominent web portals to lure potential clientele by offering massage services. While the accused was remanded to custody, the rescued women were sent to a rehabilitation center.
Apart from a few genuine ones, most of the spas and wellness centers have created small cubicles in their premises to offer sexually charged cross-massage services (by a person to a client of opposite gender). However despite a crackdown on them, a section of shady spa owners seem to be unfazed by the police action.
