A sex racket operating under the guise of a massage service was uncovered in a salon in Meerut. Police conducted a late-night raid on Sunday, detaining 9 girls and 7 boys. The girls had been brought in from Delhi and Noida.
The case came to light when a bank officer filed a complaint with the SSP, alleging a honeytrap. He revealed, “I visited the salon for a massage. A few days later, I received a call along with a video clip. I was then blackmailed.”
The bank employee further explained, “Initially, they extorted ₹2 lakh from me, followed by a demand for ₹5 lakh. On Sunday, a holiday, police conducted a raid and arrested two women managing the salon.”
During the raid, 9 girls and 7 boys were discovered in compromising positions. Upon interrogation, the girls admitted they were from Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram and had received massage training in Delhi. The salon had approximately six rooms, including a private special area for customers to receive massages.
The incident occurred at The Scissors Unisex Family Salon in the Medical Thana area. A bank officer had lodged a written complaint with the SSP seven days prior. Following the SSP’s directives, the Medical Thana police began investigating and learned that activity increased significantly on holidays.
On Sunday, a team from Mahila Thana, Medical Thana, and AHTU raided the salon. When the raid began, the salon operators, Ayana Khan of Sardhana and Ayesha Khan of Lohia Nagar, attempted to flee but were apprehended two hours later in Lohia Nagar.
The victim revealed he had gone to the salon for a massage, where a hidden camera recorded him changing clothes. Later, the salon’s female owner informed him of the video and demanded ₹2 lakh, threatening to make the footage public if he refused. Out of fear, he paid the money. A few days later, she demanded ₹5 lakh, prompting him to approach the police.
The involvement of local police in the area is suspected, which may have deterred the bank officer from filing a complaint at the local station, leading him to approach the SSP directly.
Police suspect that the racket has blackmailed several individuals who are reluctant to come forward due to fear of defamation. The police have seized the salon’s CCTV footage and DVR to identify visitors and uncover further details.
SP City Ayush Vikram Singh stated, “A substantial amount of objectionable material has been recovered from the salon. Boys and girls were found in compromising positions and have been interrogated. The salon’s female operators have been arrested, and strict action is being taken.”
