How many illegal massage parlours have been shut? HC asks Delhi Police

Pulling up the Delhi Police, the high court here on Thursday asked if it has shut down any illegal massage parlour in the national capital.

"Do something. Do some work. Then file a status report. Otherwise who will want to read your report," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said to the police while hearing a PIL that has alleged that sex rackets are rampant in the garb of massage parlours.

The observation by the bench came as it expressed unhappiness over the latest report filed by the police that did not indicate whether it has shut down any of the illegal massage parlours operating in the city.

"You should have said that by now you have shut down around three dozen such massage parlours and water and electricity to the establishments have been cut. There must be dozens of massage parlours here. Can you give one instance where you have shut down a massage parlour? Where are you officers," the court said.

The bench said it cannot appoint committees for doing the work of the police and warned that if it has to set up a committee, then it will pass strictures against the agency.

The bench directed the police to file a report by the next date of hearing, on November 25, stating the action taken against such parlours.

The petition filed by city resident Ateet Bansal has also alleged that every year hundreds of immigrants stay back in the national capital illegally and engage in flesh trade by working in the "massage" business to earn quick money.

He has alleged that the police, even after receiving several tips, were unable to take action against the offenders.

His allegations have been refuted by the police which had last year told the court that no illegal flesh trade was going on in the massage parlours of the national capital.