Written by Rahul V PisharodyHyderabad | September 29, 2025 02:16 PM IST 3 min readThe case stemmed from a raid on one Blue Bells Spa in June 2025, following a complaint that it was being run as a brothel.The Telangana High Court recently quashed criminal proceedings against a 35-year-old woman accused in an immoral trafficking case, citing a fundamental failure by the police to adhere to procedural laws.In the judgment dated September 8, Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti ruled that the Sub-Inspector (SI) who conducted the raid and registered the First Information Report (FIR) lacked the necessary jurisdiction under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act or PITA.Recognising a systemic lapse, the court issued a mandatory directive to the state police administration. “The office of Director General of Police (DGP) for the State of Telangana is requested to take necessary steps to get the Special Officer(s) appointed for the purposes of the Act for specified area(s),” the order read.To ensure immediate compliance, the DGP was directed to complete the process of notifying and appointing the required special officers—who must be of the rank of inspector or above—within a strict period of four weeks from the date of the order.The case stemmed from a raid on one Blue Bells Spa in June 2025, following a complaint that it was being run as a brothel. The police had received a tip-off that female trafficking victims were being procured by the brothel house and forced to have sex with customers for money. The petition, filed by the woman (accused No. 2), sought to quash the proceedings registered against her at Punjagutta police station.The petitioner argued that under Section 13(2), only a special police officer “not below the rank of an Inspector of Police” is authorized to deal with offences under the Act, including conducting searches and seizures. In this case, the raid, seizure of evidence, and registration of the crime were carried out by a sub-inspector, who lacks jurisdiction.Justice Jukanti firmly upheld this contention, emphasising the legal gravity of the procedural requirements. “The officer, who raided the premises, does not have jurisdiction and is not empowered. The act of registering a crime cannot be sustained…,” the court stated. The judge underscored that the empowerment of an inspector-rank officer or higher is “indicative of the nature of the offences and the gravity.”Story continues below this adIn a powerful rebuke of the police department for its laxity in applying the special legislation, the high court criticised the practice of using unauthorized personnel for sensitive investigations. “The authorities cannot direct officer of any rank to take up investigation or raid the premises,” Justice Jukanti declared.“The acts of the SI, a raid on the premises, search and seizure carried out suffer from material irregularity and illegality. The crime registered in furtherance of such acts is unsustainable, proceedings are liable to be quashed,” the judge stated.The court, hence, allowed the criminal petition and formally quashed the proceedings against the accused.Rahul V Pisharody is Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting for IE on various news developments from Telangana since 2019. He is currently reporting on legal matters from the Telangana High Court. Rahul started his career as a journalist in 2011 with The New Indian Express and worked in different roles at the Hyderabad bureau for over 8 years. As Deputy Metro Editor, he was in charge of the Hyderabad bureau of the newspaper and coordinated with the team of city reporters, district correspondents, other centres and internet desk for over three years. A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Rahul has a Master's degree in Communication (Print and New Media) from the University of Hyderabad and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd