Bhubaneswar, May 19: In a major crackdown on sex trade, the twin cities police today sealed seven establishments, including hotels, for a period of one year for allegedly running sex rackets.
This is the first time the police have sealed premises in such cases. Two hotels, two beauty parlours and a guesthouse in Bhubaneswar and one house in Ranihat in Cuttack were sealed for a period of one year.
The twin cities police today ordered closure of these establishments under Section 18 (1) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, which permits the police to use its magisterial powers to seal the premises located within a distance of 200 meters of any public space and being used as a "brothel".
The sealed places in the state capital are Niramal Palace and Janat Palace - both hotels in Capital police station limits, Khusbu Beauty parlour and One Star Beauty Parlour in Laxmisagar police limits and Maitry Guest house in Chandrasekharpur police limits.
"The owners of these establishments are well aware of the sex trade on their premises. The owners cannot use these places for a period of one year. This will definitely deter pimps and house owners who are renting out space for such illegal activities. Landlords need to conduct a thorough verification before renting out their houses," said police commissioner Y.B. Khurania.
The cops said that owners of a few other premises, which were used for running sex racket, have also been served show cause notices seeking explanation. "If they fail to provide any satisfactory reply, those establishments will also be sealed. The owners of the sealed establishments can seek the help of a court of law," said a police official.
The police had arrested notorious pimp Sunil Meher from Janat Place on February 19, 2015, along with five other persons and had rescued as many as nine women from the hotel. Meher, who was earlier arrested several times for similar offences, was last arrested in April last year from Calcutta airport.
The cops had found Meher to be involved in a Chandrasekharpur police case in March last year in which a 30-year-old sex worker from Kyrgyzstan was rescued.
Investigations had revealed that Somesh Panda, who had brought the foreign national to Bhubaneswar, had close links with Meher.
According to official statistics, cases registered under the ITP Act in the twin cities are on the rise.
While police have registered 21 such cases in the twin cities in 2015, the number increased to 29 in 2016. The cops arrested 84 persons in 2016 and rescued 56 victims in the twin cities in 2016.
