Nagpur police raid Sadar spa centre, arrest 39-year-old woman and rescue three women

Nagpur police on Thursday raided the Welina Thai and Hammam Spa Centre in the Mangalwari Bazaar area, acting against prostitution allegedly being run under the guise of a spa. Police said three women, who had allegedly been pushed into prostitution for money, were rescued. A 39-year-old woman has been arrested. She is accused of arranging the premises and customers in the name of spa services and allowing the illegal trade to continue.

The raid was carried out at the Ryan Tower building on October 15, between 3.45 pm and 6.30 pm. Police said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Annapurna Singh had received a tip-off. Acting on it, police formed a team and carried out the action in the presence of independent witnesses.

According to police, the arrested accused is named Lalpekmawai Tailbaka and is a resident of Saiha district in Mizoram. Police said she allegedly lured the women with money and provided them with a place and customers for prostitution. She is alleged to have run the operation for her own profit under cover of the spa centre.

During the action, police rescued three women from the spot. They also seized Rs 32,000 in cash, an iPhone, a scanner machine, a digital video recorder (DVR), a monitor and other items. Police allege the scanner machine was used to collect payments from customers. The total value of the seized items has been estimated at about Rs 77,500.

Sadar police have registered a case against the arrested woman under Section 143(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. These sections relate to offences concerning running a brothel, living on the earnings of prostitution, procuring or inducing people for prostitution or assisting in it, and prostitution in or near specified public places. All of this is subject to the applicable legal conditions.

The accused has been arrested and further investigation is under way. Police are trying to establish the scale on which the alleged trade was being run, who else was involved, and the circumstances in which the three women were brought to the premises.

The entire operation was carried out under the supervision of Zone 2 DCP Annapurna Singh and Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivaji Gaikwad of Sadar division. Senior Police Inspector Dnyaneshwar Bhedodkar, Police Sub-Inspector Niketan Killedar and other officers and personnel of the police team also took part. Police are continuing to investigate the alleged illegal activity at the spa centre.