SHILLONG, July 15: The Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) is verifying reports that a group of women from the state were allegedly misled about the nature of a spa training programme that eventually took them to Pune, where they were reportedly asked to provide body massages to male clients.
Speaking about the case, Bariphylla Lytan, team leader and case manager at Impulse NGO Network, said one of the women told her that the group had initially been recruited for training in facial treatments, hair care, and spa services. She said the women first underwent a three-month training programme in Khliehriat before being informed that they would receive further training in Guwahati and later in Pune.
However, after reaching Pune, the women allegedly discovered that they were expected to perform body massages for men, something they said had never been disclosed during the recruitment process.
“The women felt very uncomfortable because they had always believed the training was for facial and hair services. They were never informed that they would be required to provide body massages for men,” Lytan said.
She said one of the women later contacted her family seeking help to return to Meghalaya. A voice message requesting assistance was subsequently shared with organisations working on trafficking and women’s rights.
Lytan said the matter was immediately reported to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). In coordination with a partner organisation in Pune, officials visited the premises where the women were staying.
According to Lytan, the inspection team found several women from Meghalaya living together in cramped conditions. She said the trainees were staying, receiving training, and eating in the same rooms, while four men were staying on the ground floor.
“Our partner organisation informed us that the living conditions were inhuman. Too many people were staying in one place, the toilets were unclean, and the overall environment was unsuitable,” she said.
She added that the Pune AHTU is verifying whether the establishment is legally authorised to conduct such training programmes. The status of the facility’s registration is still being verified.
Lytan also said Impulse NGO Network informed the MSCW and contacted the police in Khliehriat after receiving the distress message.
“I was not sure whether it was a trafficking case or another kind of offence. But since the women were asking for help to return home, we immediately informed the relevant authorities,” she said.
MSCW Chairperson Iamonlang M. Syiem said the commission is verifying the facts surrounding the case. “People from the Commission are going to Khliehriat for a better understanding of the case and to speak with the concerned people,” she said.
She said the Commission cannot rely solely on the information shared by the NGO and will speak directly with the alleged victims and other individuals concerned to ascertain the facts. Based on its findings, the Commission will decide the appropriate course of action in the case.
Authorities are continuing their inquiry, while verification of the training centre’s registration and operations remains under way.
