Atul Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 3: Despite repeated warnings from the district administration, several spa and massage centres in Jammu continue to be allegedly involved in immoral activities, including prostitution and other unlawful practices.
Nearly three months after three Thai nationals were arrested from a spa centre on the outskirts of the city, the District Magistrate, Jammu, had issued an order on February 11, 2026, to regulate the functioning of such establishments. The administration reiterated similar directions on April 27, 2026, following continued reports of illegal activities, making it mandatory for spa and massage centre owners to submit an undertaking. As per the order, proprietors are required to furnish an affidavit affirming that their establishments will not engage in any immoral or unlawful activities.
They must also submit complete details regarding ownership and operations to the nearest police station.
The order lays down strict operational guidelines, including a complete ban on cross-gender massage services. “There will be provision of male masseur for male clients and female masseur for female clients,” the directive states. It further mandates that no services be provided behind locked doors, and treatment rooms must not have internal latches, bolts, or any locking mechanisms.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, the order notes that several such centres in Jammu district are allegedly being misused for immoral activities. It warns that such acts constitute serious offences under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 and the Bha There will be provision of male masseur for male clients and female masseur for female clients
No services be provided behind locked doors, and treatment rooms must not have internal latches, bolts, or any locking mechanisms.
Several such centres in Jammu district are allegedly being misused for immoral activities.
The administration observed that failure to regulate these establishments could lead to cognizable offences and disturb public order.
Earlier this year, in February, two Thai women were detained from separate spa centres in connection with alleged immoral and unethical activities. In another operation conducted on December 28, 2025, police detained a Thai national from a spa centre in Channi Himmat.
The spa owner, a resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana, was booked under FIR No. 237/2025 at Police Station Channi Himmat under Section 24 of the Immigration Act and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly harbouring a foreign national without mandatory permission or prior intimation to authorities.
The issue has also brought back focus on a sensational incident from last year. On August 21, 2025, Mehjabeen Sheikh (30), a resident of Mumbai, was shot dead at a spa centre on the outskirts of Jammu. She, along with her sister Fatima Akil (21) and Jaspreet Kour (28) from Ludhiana, had sustained bullet injuries and were initially admitted to a private nursing home in Channi Himmat. Sheikh later succumbed to her injuries at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.
The case later took a dramatic turn when allegations surfaced that local police had attempted to portray the bullet injuries as resulting from a road accident. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Crime Branch, and three police officials were suspended for their alleged role in attempting to cover up the incident. |