CP Orders Surprise Spa Checks After Mall Raids

GURUGRAM: Police Commissioner Sibash Kabiraj on Thursday directed all deputy commissioners of police and assistant commissioners of police to carry out random surprise inspections of spa and massage centres in their jurisdictions, two days after an SHO was suspended following raids at Sapphire mall in Sector 90.

In written orders to DCPs, ACPs and station house officers, Kabiraj also told SHOs to keep regular checks on such establishments and made supervisory officers accountable if enforcement slips. Officials said any negligence in following the directions could invite legal and departmental action against the officer concerned and the supervisor for that area. The commissioner framed the note as a standing instruction, not a one-day drive.

What the Sapphire mall raids found

On Tuesday, Kherki Daula SHO inspector Ravinder was suspended after the Sapphire mall action. Police have not publicly spelled out the exact reason for the suspension. The mall raids were conducted with the Haryana State Commission for Women chairperson and a duty magistrate present. Officers said the overnight drive, which ran roughly from 10pm Friday into 3am, covered 18 spa centres inside the mall complex. Suspected illegal activity was flagged at eight of them. About 30 women and 20 men were questioned, and electronic and documentary evidence was seized. The inquiry then branched into more raids and questioning of people linked to other suspect outlets outside the first list.

Thursday's order is framed as a citywide follow-through rather than a one-mall cleanup. Supervisory officers have been told to test whether station-level staff are actually checking these centres and whether earlier instructions are being followed on the ground. The written brief also says immediate legal action should follow whenever illegal activity is detected during an inspection. That line puts ACPs and DCPs in the loop as surprise auditors, not only as recipients of local SHO reports.

For spa operators and neighbouring shops in Sector 90 and beyond, the practical effect is a higher chance of unannounced visits by ACP and DCP teams, not only local beat staff. For police stations, the accountability line now runs upward if a centre under their charge is later found running prohibited activity. Kabiraj's order does not name further suspensions. It sets the standard against which the next round of checks will be judged, and it warns that both the field officer and the supervisory officer can face departmental or legal consequences if the instructions are ignored.

The Sector 90 episode also showed how multi-agency presence changes the texture of a raid. With a women's commission chairperson and a duty magistrate on site through the night, the search and seizure trail is meant to stand up later if cases go to court. Citywide surprise checks will not always have that full bench present, which is why the commissioner's note stresses documentation and immediate legal action whenever a centre fails inspection. Residents near malls and mixed-use strips where spas cluster are likely to see more marked and unmarked police visits over the coming weeks as the order filters down from DCP offices to police stations.