Silchar: The investigation into an alleged sex racket operating from spa centres at a mall here took a fresh turn after Cachar police questioned Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) principal-cum-chief superintendent Dr Bhaskar Gupta and his wife for nearly four hours.Police sources said the couple appeared at the office of the Cachar superintendent of police on Wednesday evening after being summoned as part of the ongoing probe into alleged immoral activities at two spa centres operating from the mall.The questioning followed a recent raid at the two establishments during which 28 women were arrested for investigation.During the probe, investigators reportedly found that one of the rooms from which a spa centre was operating is owned by Gupta’s family. Police are examining ownership documents and the circumstances under which the premises were rented to the spa operators.Additional SP (Crime) Rajat Kumar Pal is supervising the investigation. Officials said investigators are trying to establish who leased the premises to the spa operators and whether any criminal liability arises from the arrangement.After the questioning, Gupta and his wife left the SP’s office without speaking to reporters. Television footage showed the couple covering their faces as they entered their vehicle while media personnel waited outside.Police said the questioning was part of the investigation and that efforts are on to trace the absconding owners and operators of the spa centres.The case has sparked discussion across Barak Valley, with social media users demanding that Gupta step down or be relieved of his responsibilities as SMCH principal and chief superintendent on moral grounds to ensure an impartial investigation. However, there has been no official response from the state govt or the health department.In a related development, the Cachar district administration has permanently cancelled the licence of a hotel and restaurant on the Silchar-Haflong stretch of the East-West Corridor and sealed the establishment, which also runs a spa, following a police crackdown.The action followed a police raid at the hotel during which a minor girl was rescued. The hotel’s promoter was arrested in and remanded to judicial custody.
