Delhi Police bust prostitution racket at spa, 1 arrested
A spa on busy Panchkuian Road in central Delhi was allegedly operating as a front for a prostitution racket until a decoy customer, armed with pre-recorded currency notes, entered the premises. The police raid that followed led to the arrest of the owner-cum-manager and the rescue of four women on Wednesday.
Acting on a tip-off received on June 30, the Paharganj police laid a trap by sending a decoy customer into the spa with pre-recorded Rs 2,000 currency notes. According to police, the spa operator allegedly offered sexual services to the decoy, accepted the advance payment and directed one of the women present at the premises to accompany him to a room.
After receiving the predetermined signal from the decoy, the raiding team entered the spa and apprehended the accused on the spot. In the search that followed, police recovered Rs 3,400 in cash, including the decoy money, a customer entry register, and other material allegedly linked to the illegal operation.
The arrested accused was identified as Ajay Malhotra (39), a resident of Multani Dhanda in Nabi Karim, who allegedly owned and managed the spa. During interrogation, Malhotra allegedly admitted to operating the establishment and facilitating prostitution under the guise of spa services, police said. Investigators are also probing whether other persons were involved in running the alleged racket.
An FIR has been registered at Paharganj police station under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and further investigation is underway. Police said they rescued four women during the operation.
“The operation was carried out based on credible secret information. A carefully planned decoy operation confirmed the illegal activities, after which the accused was arrested and incriminating material was seized. Further investigation is underway to identify others connected with the racket,” said Rohit Rajbir Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District.
The raid was carried out by a team led by women officers, along with other personnel from Paharganj police station, under the supervision of senior officers.
A similar incident occurred on June 12, when police busted a sex racket operating inside a rented property in the Qutub Area in Paharganj. In that case, the police arrested one accused, Shahrukh, who was allegedly operating the racket. Additionally, authorities also rescued four women.