Rajkot, Oct 27 (reported by IANS and Nation Press): The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Rajkot City Police rescued four women during coordinated raids on two premises in the city that were allegedly operating as a marriage bureau and a wellness spa to facilitate prostitution. Police confirmed on Tuesday that cases have been registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
Source: Nation Press
The raids were carried out on October 26 in areas under the A-Division police station. In both operations, police said, the teams deployed a decoy customer and called two independent witnesses before entering the premises — a standard anti-trafficking protocol meant to keep the evidence admissible.
Marriage bureau office at Gururaksha Complex
The first raid targeted an office at No. 207, Gururaksha Complex, near Virani Chowk. According to police, the operators allegedly sourced women from outside the city and arranged clients in exchange for money, charging each customer Rs 1,000 before directing them to a separate room within the premises. One woman was rescued from the location.
Police said Jayashriben alias Minaben (51) and Meet Pujara (22), both residents of Sharda Apartment, Block B/2, Kothariya Road, Rajkot, were found at the premises. Officers seized Rs 3,400 in cash, 20 packets of condoms valued at Rs 400 and a mobile phone worth Rs 5,000 — total seized property of Rs 8,800 — and registered a case under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The allegations are yet to be tested in court.
Florence Wellness Spa on Kalawad Road
In the second operation, the AHTU raided Florence Wellness Spa at Office No. 501, Cosmo Complex, Mahila College Chowk, Kalawad Road, which was allegedly facilitating prostitution under the guise of massage services. Police said customers were charged an entry fee of Rs 1,000, followed by an additional Rs 2,500 per client for what the operator allegedly described as an 'extra service.' Three women were rescued from the spa.
Officers seized Rs 7,210 in cash and two mobile phones valued at Rs 10,000 — total seized property of Rs 17,210 — and registered a case against Ganesh Meena (23), described by police as a spa employee and a resident of Ghatiphala Sasai, Post Nathara, in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, under the same sections of the Act.
Police said the raids were carried out on the instructions of senior officials as part of a broader drive against alleged prostitution networks operating under commercial cover, and that further investigation into how the women were brought to the two premises is expected to follow. The rescued women have not been named.