Allahabad High Court dismisses trafficking charges in Noida

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a trafficking case against a man who was arrested during a police raid at a Noida spa. The court ruled that the allegations did not meet the legal requirements for human trafficking. The raid took place on May 20, 2024, at the Allora Thai Spa Centre. Police acted on tips about prostitution activities and found customers and women engaged in sexual acts. They registered a case under several sections of Indian law against the spa owner and one customer. The customer was found in a compromising situation with a woman, and certain substances were seized during the raid. He later went to court to challenge the charges against him. His lawyer argued that he was simply a customer and had no involvement in running the spa or in enticing women into prostitution. The state government opposed his plea, pointing out that he was arrested on-site and that the woman had implicated him. However, the court noted that there were no claims of coercion or trafficking related to him. The judges stated that previous cases showed that customers engaging in consensual acts are not covered by the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. Justice Vinod Diwakar concluded that the charges could not be upheld, especially since the woman involved had not formally complained or testified. As a result, the court canceled the earlier order that had summoned the customer to court, along with all related proceedings.