The police have put under scanner the operation of several newly opened spas and Ayurveda wellness centres in Kozhikode district following confidential complaints on suspected sex trafficking. Action comes in the wake of the recent arrest of six persons, including four women, from one of such suspected wellness units at Perambra.
According to the police, efforts are on to verify the registration of such centres and the whereabouts of the staff. Flash inspections are also under consideration in the wake of the rising number of complaints hinting at the illegal appointment of untrained non-Kerala women as skilled therapists.
Some of the women who were recently arrested under section 143 (trafficking of person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita from the illegally operated spas have revealed to the police that a huge financial exploitation is taking place in the business. Increasing incidents of sexual exploitation offering extra payment has also come to light in the recently exposed cases by the Kozhikode city and Kozhikode Rural police squads.
Police officers associated with the ongoing investigation in the city and rural areas confirm that all suspicious outdoor publicity activities by nameless operators are under check. They reveal that many of the contact numbers displayed in public places to attract customers and therapists as part of the advertisement campaign have been found operated by unknown persons from remote locations.
Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs behind the registered wellness centres and spas in the city appear to be in support of the ongoing police checks and the verification of their staff. According to them, such prompt action will only endorse the credibility of the approved ventures and expose the fake ones who encourage exploitation. The fraudsters in the sector are also spoiling the entry of many newly trained professionals to the field, they allege.
鈥淎s approved centres, we run this business by complying with all the rules and regulations in the sector. Also, we appoint only well-trained staff to attend to the customers,鈥 says the owner of a newly opened wellness spa in Kozhikode city. It is high time the police exposed the nameless operators who encourage illegal business and spoil the name of approved entrepreneurs in the sector, he adds.