Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 12: The state high court, on Wednesday October 11, disposed off an application that had questioned the order issued by the city corporation here, cancelling licences issued to Ayurveda and Panchakarma therapy centres functioning in the city, citing that illegal activities were being conducted there.

The petition moved by owners of six massage centres came up for hearing before a single judge bench of the high court presided over by Justice Vineet Kothari. The bench instructed the city corporation to serve notices to the petitioners afresh and hear their grievances and representations. "Only after this process, a suitable decision if necessary, should be initiated," it directed.

During the hearing, the bench wanted to know from the city corporation the specific rule of law which says that women should not massage men in massage parlours. "How could you take the step of cancelling licences of these centres although you did not have evidence to prove that immoral activities were being carried out there? Could you not have taken suitable legal steps after you had noticed illegal activities going on there?" it wanted to know.

Advocate for the petitioners, Rajaram Sooryambail, stated that licences of massage centres had been quashed by alleging that immoral activities were going on there. He said that experienced Ayurveda therapists administer treatments at these centres and they include women too. Just because women provide treatment does snot mean that immoral activities are going on there," he argued.