The Central District Police conducted simultaneous raids at two spa establishments in the Nabi Karim and Paharganj areas of Delhi, rescuing 19 women and arresting 10 people for their alleged involvement in illegal activities, police said on Saturday.

The raids were conducted as part of a crackdown on alleged illegal activities operating under the guise of spa services. Two FIRs have been registered under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, and further investigation is underway.

In the first operation, Nabi Karim police acted on specific information about an alleged sex racket operating at Hollywood Spa, located on the second and third floors of property number 8709-10 on Desh Bandhu Gupta Road.

According to police, on October 16, a secret informer approached Sub-Inspector Neeraj Rathi and provided information about the alleged racket. The information was shared with the station house officer (SHO), who constituted a team to verify the input and take legal action.

A police personnel was deployed as a decoy customer to verify the information. After the alleged illegal activity was confirmed, the team raided the premises, rescued 14 women and arrested nine accused.

The arrested persons were identified as Preeti Iman Ali, 39, the spa owner; Rizwan Ali, 38, the manager; Asif, 35; Shajeb, 31; Mohd. Umar, 39; Sameer, 25; Shahrukh, 35; Gulrej alias Danish, 28; and Shiva, 25. They are residents of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.

An FIR (No. 473/26), dated October 16, was registered at Nabi Karim police station under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

In a separate operation, Paharganj police raided New Latest Unisex Salon and Spa at property number 3738 on Desh Bandhu Gupta Road. During the raid, five women were rescued, and one accused was arrested.

The accused was identified as Shakeel Ahmed, 46, a native of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, who was residing at the spa premises in Delhi.

An FIR (No. 452/2026), dated October 17, was registered at Paharganj police station under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

Police teams from both stations carried out the operations under the supervision of their respective SHOs, with the Nabi Karim operation also supervised by the ACP, Paharganj.

Paris, Oct 17: A leading international human rights organisation raised alarm over escalating human rights abuses in Bangladesh during a high-level bilateral meeting at the European Commission office in Brussels.

According to Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a five-member delegation led by its founder Shahanur Islam met Fausto Matos, a Cabinet Member in the office of European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen.

During the meeting, the delegation drew attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Bangladesh since August 2024, particularly the ban on the Awami League, death sentences against its leadership, widespread political persecution, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths, torture, mob violence and restrictions on democratic freedoms.

They also highlighted persecution of journalists and lawyers, and increasing threats against vulnerable and marginalised communities.

The delegation submitted a comprehensive human rights briefing note titled “Human Rights Concerns in Bangladesh Since the Change of Government in August 2024,” documenting reported violations between August 2024 and October 2026 and calling for stronger European Union engagement.

The briefing urged the EU to press for the lifting of the ban on the Awami League, an end to political persecution and concrete measures to protect fundamental freedoms. It also called on the EU to press Bangladeshi authorities for accountability and uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Bangladesh.

The delegation also presented six thematic reports published by JMBF, highlighting alleged extrajudicial killings and custodial deaths under the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, threats to the independence of the legal profession, and the state of LGBTQI+ rights.

The thematic reports also documented violence against garment workers, systematic intimidation of legal professionals, and what the JMBF described as a government-driven media blackout targeting its human rights reporting in Bangladesh.

JMBF also expressed serious concerns over 23 death sentences imposed by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunals against 22 distinct individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and several other Awami League leaders and affiliated individuals, in cases relating to the July–August 2024 uprising.

JMBP founder Shahanur Islam questioned the “independence and impartiality of the tribunals, particularly the imposition of death sentences following trials conducted in absentia, allegations of politically motivated prosecutions, and inadequate safeguards to ensure compliance with internationally recognised standards of due process and fair trial.”

The delegation warned that “politically motivated arrests, intimidation and prolonged detention of lawyers threaten the independence of the legal profession, undermine access to justice and weaken the rule of law.”

They also flagged a surge in attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, teachers, students and workers, as well as sexual violence against children, violence against women and girls, and persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, LGBTQI+ individuals across Bangladesh.

JMBF urged the EU to integrate measurable human rights commitments into its diplomatic, trade and development engagement with Bangladesh.

New Delhi, Oct 17: Delhi Police on Saturday registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) over violations of prohibitory orders in Connaught Place and other parts of New Delhi on Friday. Officials said action would be taken against repeat offenders.

According to police sources, the FIRs have been registered for violations of orders issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Police said announcements were made asking people to disperse, but a crowd gathered around Connaught Place despite the restrictions.

The action comes after protesters held a Tiranga rally outside Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday amid heightened security in the national Capital.

Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was arrested in connection with the party’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally at Central Park. He is scheduled to be produced before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court on Saturday.

“Abhijeet is arrested and will be produced before the SEM court. His location is still unknown, and lawyers haven’t met him,” CJP’s head of legal affairs, Ratna Singh, said in a post on X.

All India Students’ Association (AISA) leader Neha Bora was also detained near Mandi House as police tightened security across central Delhi. She was subsequently released, according to reports.

The detentions came amid tensions following the arrest and judicial remand of two CJP co-convenors, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. They were sent to five days of judicial custody after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar and unfurling the National Flag on October 13, a day after the designated protest site was de-notified.

This was the second time in a week that Dipke had been detained by Delhi Police. He was earlier taken into custody shortly after arriving in the national Capital from Mumbai to participate in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged manipulation of electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Ahead of Friday’s proposed rally, police had served Dipke a notice stating that Connaught Place was not a designated protest site and that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had not granted permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra.

The notice, issued under Section 163 of the BNSS, warned that organising the march or assembling a crowd would violate the prohibitory orders in force in the area.

During an interaction with police personnel at his residence, Dipke questioned the grounds for his detention, asking, “What kind of accusation have you levelled against me?” When told that he could not travel to New Delhi and was being detained, he questioned which law he had violated.

Police clarified that waving the National Flag was not prohibited. However, they said organising an unauthorised procession or gathering a crowd in violation of restrictions could invite legal action. Dipke was also reminded of the provisions of the Flag Code concerning the respectful display of the Tricolour.