Bengaluru city police have taken decisive action against illegal spa operations, culminating in raids that exposed a widespread human trafficking network. A key operation targeted Nirvana International Spa in Mahadevapura’s Pai Layout on January 9th, where the Women Protection Wing (WPW) of the CCB rescued 40 women. These women were trafficked from various regions, including Thailand and Delhi, highlighting the national and international scope of the illicit operation.

The owner of Nirvana Spa, identified as Anil, was arrested and charged with running a prostitution racket. Investigations revealed that Anil allegedly lured and coerced women into prostitution, managing a sophisticated operation with 20 to 25 individuals involved in payment collection and client management, many of whom were reportedly from the IT industry.

Police raid on illegal spa operations to rescue trafficked women

This raid on Nirvana Spa is part of a larger city-wide crackdown on illegal spas that had proliferated across Bengaluru. Since January, city police have conducted 21 raids, rescuing 118 women and arresting 39 individuals for various violations. The Whitefield division has emerged as a hotspot, reporting the highest number of cases with five raids, leading to the rescue of 22 women and the arrest of 11 people.

In a significant move, the Bengaluru police have invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against the accused. This stringent legal action was taken because victims in at least two recent cases belonged to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities. These vulnerable women were deceived with promises of legitimate employment, only to be forced into the flesh trade. City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda emphasized the invocation of the SC-ST Act, alongside other human trafficking laws, underscoring the severity of the crimes and the commitment to protect marginalized communities from exploitation.