Prostitution dens in facade of spa in New Delhi's Mahipalpur
NEW DELHI: Things are not what they seem on a one-kilometre stretch in Mahipalpur. During the day, the stretch spanning Blocks L and A is a busy street like any other. There are hotels, a clothing shop, food joints, a series of spas and more. But when dusk descends, the real game starts in these parts.
Several residents of the locality claim there is a prostitution racket flourishing in the area and that the numerous spas dotting it are doubling as prostitution dens. They also point to the presence of several "outsiders" on the stretch, mostly youngsters from the North-East.
“During the day, the area looks normal but after dusk is when the real show starts,” says Kailashwati, a 60-year-old local resident of Mahipalpur L block.
“Earlier, these centres were restricted to the main road, but over the last year, many spa-owners have been buying property in residential areas. This is worrying all of us.”
The local BJP councillor, Inderjeet Shehrawat, has drawn the attention of the Delhi Municipal Corporation to the racket. In a letter, accessed by The Sunday Standard, he has claimed that an organised prostitution racket is being run in the area behind the facade of running spas.
Urging the municipal authorities to take action, Shehrawat has alleged that these spas are having an unfavourable impact on the minds of young girls and women.
Enter one of these spas, and one is given a rate card of the services on offer -- a full-body massage for an hour comes for Rs 1500, and a 45-minute one for Rs 900. Ask if anything else can be bought, and the answer is a straight “No”.
But some people who frequent the spas tell a different story. One such customer said: “It is when you buy a package and enter a room that you are given the ‘surprise options’. The owners don't offer them openly because there is always the fear of being caught. And yes, people do come and pay for sex.”
Another customer who was leaving a spa denied any such experience. “I have been to this centre many times and have tried out two more spas but I have never got the hint that such ‘surprise services’ are on offer. I am not from Mahipalpur but I believe the area has got a bad name. But there is nothing apart from a normal spa here.”
A spa manager said: “I have also heard about many spas involved in such activities but this is not the case with ours. We even close early.” Most others declined comment.