Police keeping vigil on massage parlours for any illegal activity: Delhi govt to HC

The AAP government on Monday told the Delhi High Court that police have been instructed to keep a vigil on all the massage parlours operating in the national capital and to take prompt legal action when any illegality is noticed.

The Delhi government made the submission before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar in an affidavit filed in compliance of the court's direction in July to "do something" with regard to massage parlours in the city.

Delhi government additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose told the bench that between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2019, police have identified 526 massage parlours, of which 405 were functional and the remaining 121 have either been closed by the owners or sealed by the municipal corporations.

Ghose also told the court that police had received 19 complaints of illegal flesh trade in relation to the massage parlours and of them, 11 were found to be unsubstantial and in the remaining eight, FIRs have been registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

Taking note of the steps taken by the government, the bench listed the matter for further hearing on March 30 as no one was present on behalf of the petitioner, Ateet Bansal, who has alleged that sex rackets are rampant in the garb of massage parlours.

Bansal, in his plea, 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 further claimed that the police, even after receiving several tips, were unable to take action against the offenders.