Pune city, once known for its cultural heritage and education, is now facing a disturbing rise in prostitution rackets operating under the guise of spa and massage centres. Over the past two years, the Pune City Police have registered as many as 63 cases of illegal sex trade being run through these so-called wellness centres, which exposes how these centres have become a shield for the illegal business.
According to official data, 79 people have been arrested in the last two years, including 20 women and 59 men, for their alleged involvement in these rackets. What’s more alarming is that these operations were being conducted in some of the most prominent localities of the city, often disguised as legitimate spa businesses.
Taking strict action against the illegal business, Pune Police have rescued 229 women, among whom three were minors and 37 were foreign nationals. Many of these women were lured with false promises of employment and later forced into the flesh trade. Officials say the racket operators used social media and online advertisements to attract clients and maintain secrecy.
Nikhil Pingale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, “A dedicated team has been deployed to take action against the people who are running illegal activity under the guise of spa centres and massage centres. Many of them are on the radar. So far, 229 women have been rescued and 79 people have been arrested. Anyone found to be involved in and running such illegal business will be booked under relevant charges.”
Recent Cases
1. On September 28, Pune Police busted a prostitution racket running under the guise of a massage parlour in Kharadi and rescued three women. Acting on the tip-off, police raided SunShine Spa, situated in Ashok Nagar near Kharadi Bypass Chowk. The spa operators Sandeep Chavan, Rohit Shinde, spa manager Gopal, and Swati alias Shweta Vijay Suryawanshi were booked under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, and Section 143, 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
2. A 31-year-old woman was arrested in a joint operation by the Social Security Cell and Swargate Police for running a prostitution racket under the guise of a massage parlour for the last two months in the Gultekdi area of Pune. Following the tip-off, on September 24, police raided the Vasundhara Ayurveda Massage Centre in the Gultekdi area of Mukund Nagar. During the operation, six women were rescued, and the prime accused, Vaishali Vishpute (31, owner of the centre and resident of Kondhwa), was arrested. Vishpute had been running the spa and the illegal business for the past two months in the area.
3. On July 8, police conducted raids at two spa centres in the Viman Nagar and Baner areas and rescued 18 women, including several Thai nationals. Regarding the matter, Abbas Hussain, manager of Unique Spa, was booked for operating a prostitution den.
Meanwhile, despite repeated police crackdowns, such illegal activities continue to flourish, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of monitoring by police and municipal departments.
