Bombay High Court reprimands Mumbai Police for seeking certificate from spa centre
Mumbai: The Mumbai Police raided a spa centre and took action. The said spa centre filed a petition in the Bombay High Court (HC). During the hearing on the plea, the HC reprimanded the Mumbai Police. The court observed that the police did not take action against masseurs on Mumbai Chowpatty for not holding a certificate. Then how does a closed-door massage need a certificate?
Presenting the Mumbai Police’s side, the Public Prosecutor said that the police did not take action against the spa centre on their own. They raided it only after receiving complaints. Something was going wrong there. Minor girls were working in the spa. The police had to take action.
The public prosecutor told the court that the girls in the spa centre had given their wrong addresses. After their arrest, the owner wants guidelines for spas and to rehabilitate the girls.
The petitioners pleaded that there are guidelines for spa centres in Delhi. However, there are no concrete regulations in Maharashtra. Spas should be regulated in Maharashtra too. The hearing was conducted before a bench comprising Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice Firdosh Pooniwalla.
Opposing the plea, Public Prosecutor Poornima Kantharia said that there is no need for regulations as there are legal provisions available. The petitioner has claimed that they have trained therapists. Then they should submit details about the institute, where they received training.
On this, the High Court said, “Show us the institution, where massage training is given.” Kantharia replied that the way nurses are trained, massage therapy is also taught. Details about their training can definitely be presented.
Raising a vital issue, the HC said, “What problems do you have in readying guidelines? Action can be taken against those who do not follow them. So what is wrong with spa regulations?
Since the issue raised by the petitioners is important, the High Court directed that the State Government should also be made a respondent in the petition. The Advocate General will present the government position in the next hearing.
