Kerala police launch statewide Operation Spa crackdown following minor's exploitation

Kerala Police have launched a comprehensive statewide drive against illegal wellness centres, inspecting hundreds of establishments under a targeted operation following the alleged trafficking and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in Kovalam.

Under 'Operation Spa', initiated on the instructions of ADGP (Law and Order) P Vijayan, police teams inspected 586 out of 821 identified spas across Kerala. Officers registered cases against 14 establishments, arrested five people, and issued formal notices to 44 others for regulatory violations.

What triggered the statewide raids

The enforcement action followed a detailed investigation into the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh. Police stated that the girl, orphaned at an early age, was brought to Kerala by her maternal aunt and her aunt's husband, who allegedly forged Aadhaar documents to present her as a 20-year-old before employing her at various spas since July.

The matter came to light after a missing person complaint was filed on 21 September. Upon tracing the minor, officers spotted discrepancies in her identity documents. Verifications with her former school in Andhra Pradesh confirmed her actual age, prompting the formation of a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) and immediate intervention by the Child Welfare Committee.

Investigators subsequently arrested two spa owners, identified as Nishanth, 46, and Sajith Kumar, 47, who are currently in judicial custody. Police also filed a zero FIR and transferred it to Guduvanchery police station near Chennai after the victim disclosed undergoing similar abuse at a facility there. The victim's aunt and uncle were later traced to Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district and taken into custody.

Inspection figures across Kerala districts

Raids were also conducted in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha, where officers registered three cases each, as well as Ernakulam Rural, Kottayam, and Idukki.

Government plans new regulatory legislation

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the state government is considering dedicated legislation to regulate the rapidly expanding spa industry. Most centres currently operate under the Shops and Establishments Act, leaving little statutory clarity over their ownership or internal activities.

"Women are being brought from within and outside Kerala, employed at these establishments and exploited," Chennithala told reporters in Thrissur, emphasising that unauthorised centres engaged in fraud or unlawful practices face immediate closure and severe legal consequences.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a suo motu case over the Kovalam incident, directing reports from police, municipal, and child welfare authorities.