Hyderabad: Massages or body relaxation activities done by the opposite sex to customers in public resorts lead to exposure and indecent behaviour which would result into an illegitimate act, states the Hyderabad Police Act.
Despite this, various parlours have hired helpers (both male and female), especially from the Northeastern states to render services to the customers.
Most of the parlours raided in the city so far were found providing special services (illegal as per the law) within closed doors and with no valid permits or licences from the city commissioner.
In most cases, male customers attracted by such offers, avail them and the parlours hire female helpers from northeastern states to provide such services.
Jobs at beauty clinics and massaging centres are most sought after by the Northeastern populace — both males and females — in Hyderabad.
“Opening of beauty parlours, treatment clinics is not banned as it is a legal form of business, but those using these centers for running illegal businesses could be strictly monitored and face punishments as well,” added cops.
So far this year, 3 cases have been booked against Sparkle Saloon.
Genuine parlours also face suspicion
Coreena Suares | DC
Hyderabad: Massage parlours in the twin cities have come under police radar for running sex rackets. However, lack of clarity on what these relaxation centres should be about, whether they are banned or not, creates confusion among their owners.
The city police acting according to Sections 68, 70 and 74 of the Hyderabad Police Act prohibit “illegal activities” carried out at such outlets.
Even those who are running genuine massage parlours like herbal treatment centres come under suspicion following misuse by some others. But such centres in star hotels and in posh resorts are mostly ignored by the cops.
Professor N. Satya Prasad, head of the department of Ayurvedic Medical College, Hyderabad said, “Massage is one of the supportive treatments for Ayurvedic medicine and is one of the main processes in panch karma. Thousands of medical oils prepared to cure skin diseases or muscular pain is applied only through massages.” However, malpractice is on in the name of massage treatment which is in turn is earning a bad name for Ayurvedic system.
Meanwhile, some of the genuine massage centres said they make customers sign a policy letter that states the rules of the parlour before the process.
Massage parlours have suggestive ads
Hyderabad: Over 30 sex rackets were busted in the city in 2013 and there has been a crackdown on 15 massage parlours so far this year. But, such illegal activities continue to flourish unhindered at many places owing to a dearth of stringent and effective regulations.
Eye catching advertisements, sign boards and online offers with taglines like “body-to-body massage”, “massage with extra services”, “A-Z body” etc. are used by most of these parlors that run prostitution rackets to attract customers.
The law and order department states that there are few obstacles in according punishment to the people involved in flesh trade. It becomes hard to prove with circumstantial evidences during the court proceedings due to which the accused escape easily from the clutches of law leading to a very low conviction rate. And the low rate encourages the accused to start the illegal business again.
On analysis of data on conviction, it was found that only in a negligible number of cases, the accused was convicted, that too under Sections carrying very less punishment.
