12 April,2011 06:31 AM IST | | Poornima Swaminathan
South Bombay parlour was operating as front for prostitution racket
Mumbai police busted a full-fledged prostitution racket that was operating under the cover of a beauty clinic in South Mumbai, yesterday.
Investigations have revealed that a high-income corporate clientele from the vicinity visited the salon.
Numerous clients reportedly frequented the salon in the afternoons, to avail of the "services" on offer.
Police raided Haircool Salon and Beauty Clinic and rescued five women and arrested the manager and the cashier
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Social Service Branch (SSB) raided the parlour in Fort, which had been unobtrusively named Haircool Salon and Beauty Clinic. They rescued five women from the spot.
The raiding team also arrested the manager, Ravi Shetty, and a cashier. "A prostitution racket was flourishing here under the guise of a salon," said Vasant Dhoble, assistant commissioner of police.
"We are recording the statements of the rescued women in order to determine whether or not they were forced into the flesh trade," he added.
According to police officials, the salon, which had been functioning for more than a decade, catered primarily to a high-end corporate clientele. Customers could choose their 'services' at the counter and would thereafter be directed inside accordingly.
"They also had a rate chart representing the sums charged for different services. We have seized several incriminating documents," said a senior official. "The clinic would be teeming with clients during lunch breaks, between 1 and 3 pm," he added.
Officers at the SSB branch have also contacted the licensing department in order to scrutinise all the licences issued to the clinic.
"We are scrutinising their records to ascertain the nature of their activities," said the official. A police team has fanned out in order to trace and arrest the owner of the clinic, so that appropriate action may be taken against him.
