Sex racket operating in Kochi in guise of Ayurvedic spa; three women rescued, five persons arrested

KOCHI: A sex racket operating under the guise of an Ayurvedic spa in Kochi’s Thaikkudam area was busted by Maradu police, resulting in the rescue of three women and the arrest of five individuals. The rescued women are natives of Idukki, Kollam, and Kottayam districts.

The accused have been identified as M. Rajesh (48) and Aneesh (50) from Cherthala, P.S. Ajay (27) and M.G. Bineesh from Ernakulam, and Abhimon N. Ravi from Idukki. Rajesh and Aneesh are believed to be the main operators of the illegal establishment, while the others acted as intermediaries.

The police raid was conducted around 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Authorities revealed that the operation was being run under the name ‘Punarjani Ayurvedic Spa’. The premises, which included two rented rooms, lacked any legitimate spa equipment. According to police, more than ten women may have been exploited through this operation. The rescued women were reportedly lured with false promises of employment and have since been moved to secure shelters.

The group attracts people through advertisements displayed under various business names. Licenses meant for beauty parlours were misused to bring in young women, some even from North India.

Profits in lakhs
The racket is estimated to have generated monthly earnings exceeding Rs 3.5 lakh for the organisers.