The city government informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that the police have been instructed to keep a vigil on all the massage parlours operating in the city to take prompt legal action when any illegality is noticed.
The government said between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2019, the police have identified 526 massage parlours, of which 405 were functional and the remaining have either been closed by the owners or sealed by the municipal corporations.
The government additional standing counsel Sanjoy Ghose told an HC Bench that the police had received 19 complaints of flesh trade in relation to the massage parlours and of them, 11 were found to be unsubstantial and in the remaining, FIRs have been registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The court listed the matter for hearing on March 30 as no one was present on behalf of the petitioner, Ateet Bansal, who has alleged that sex rackets are rampant in the garb of massage parlours.
Mr. Bansal said the police, even after receiving several tips, were unable to take action.
