The Madras High Court has made it mandatory for spas, massage and therapy centres to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras inside their premises to assist the police in ensuring that no objectionable activity such as prostitution takes place in those centres.
Justice S.M. Subramaniam directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to issue appropriate orders to all spas, massage and therapy centres to not only install CCTV cameras but also make sure that they remain functional all the time so that the footage could be checked on demand.
Directions to DGP
The DGP was ordered to issue necessary directions to ensure that the spas, massage and therapy centres “conduct their business activities in a transparent manner and avoid secluded or closed rooms paving way for illegal activities.”
The judge made it clear that the police could crack down on violators.
“In the event of any reasonable suspicion, information or complaint, the police authorities are directed to initiate all appropriate actions in the manner known to law,” the judge wrote. The orders were passed while disposing of a writ petition filed in 2015 by the owner of an Ayurvedic therapy centre in Villupuram.
The petitioner had urged the court to forbear the police from interfering in any manner with her lawful business.
Refusing to issue such a direction, the judge said the court could not be expected to act upon a self-certification given by the petitioner, and that the police were duty bound to keep a check on such activities by conducting regular inspections.
Numerous allegations
Referring to the mushrooming number of spas and massage centres in cities such as Chennai and Coimbatore, the judge said: “There are numerous allegations against the business activities of these spas and massage centre and more specifically, the allegation of prostitution is also frequently received by the police authorities.”
Therefore, holding that there was an imminent necessity for the police to conduct inspections whenever they receive complaints, the judge said: “No preventive orders can be passed by this court restraining the law enforcing authorities from exercising their powers in accordance with law and by following the procedures.”
Observing that courts should not entertain such writ petitions at all, the judge said any restraint order against the police would cause great prejudice to the authorities and prevent them from exercising their powers even in a lawful manner. People who run spas and massage centres would also take undue advantage of such restraint orders, he added.