Chandigarh, April 10: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab government to formulate a comprehensive policy within three months to regulate spa and massage centres, citing concerns over their misuse for sex trade and the exploitation of women.
The directive came while hearing a petition filed by owners of beauty parlours, massage, and spa centres in Jalandhar, who sought protection from alleged police harassment. Justice Kuldeep Tiwari, while acknowledging their concerns, noted that the matter involved serious counter-allegations.
The state government, in its response, stated that several FIRs had been registered in Jalandhar following the busting of prostitution rackets operating under the guise of legitimate wellness businesses. “Some miscreants, under the garb of running spa and massage centres, have been running prostitution racket and are involved in immoral/human trafficking,” the state submitted.
Justice Tiwari noted that seven cases had already been registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act within the Jalandhar commissionerate alone. “From the FIR figures, which appertain only to one commissionerate, this court prima facie believes such kind of rackets to be operating in the entire state,” he observed.
The court also noted that similar concerns had previously come up for judicial scrutiny in Chandigarh. In that matter, a coordinate Bench had asked the authorities to frame regulations based on guidelines issued by the Delhi Government. “Such kind of guidelines came to be framed by Haryana also,” the court added.
Referring to the broader implications for public order and the safety of women employed at these centres, Justice Tiwari said: “Taking into account the gravity of the issue involved as well as the welfare of the women working in spa and massage centres, this court deems it appropriate to direct Punjab to consider this writ petition as a representation and frame guidelines/policy regulating the operations of spa and massage centres.”
The Bench asked the Punjab government to complete the policy formulation within three months and to file a status report on compliance
