Six Women Forced Into 'Sex Work' Rescued From Bengaluru Spa, Manager Arrested

A spa manager was arrested by Bengaluru police on Wednesday, February 19, for allegedly soliciting for "obscene acts."

Central Crime Branch sleuths raided Jack Salon and Wellness Spa located in Koramangala 5th block and arrested the outlet's manager, a 35-year-old woman. The spa owner, Arvind, is absconding.

Six women were rescued, all between 18 and 20 years of age.

"We received a tip that the spa was running illegal operations and was soliciting for sex work. We believe that the women were forced into it and they have been sent to a state home for women, where they will be rehabilitated," The News Minute quoted a CCB source as saying.

The women, who had come from several northern states searching for jobs, were hired as masseuses some years back.

"The spa offered 'happy ending' packages. They were not meant for massage. The women were made to start off giving massages and were forced to approach customers and do things like body to body massages and also sex work," the CCB source said.

During the raids, police found four customers within the premises. None of them, however, was arrested.

"We cannot arrest the clients here because the law permits us to arrest those soliciting sex work. We are yet to ascertain whether the women did the sex work willingly or not but we suspect that they were forced into it. We will include other sections to the FIR after taking the women's statements," the source said.

The manager and the owner have been booked under section 293 (sale of obscene objects to a young person), as well as relevant sections of the Karnataka Police Act.

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