‘Sex in Brothel Amounts to Inducing Prostitution’: Kerala High Court Says Sex Worker Is Not a Product and ‘Customer’ Tag Cannot Apply
The Kerala High Court ruled that paying for sex in a brothel amounts to inducing prostitution, not a customer transaction. Justice VG Arun held that sex workers cannot be treated as products, and payment is inducement under the Immoral Traffic Act. The petitioner will face trial under Sections 5(1)(d) and 7.
In a landmark ruling, the Kerala High Court held that a person availing the services of a sex worker in a brothel can be prosecuted under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. Justice V.G. Arun, while hearing a petition by a man caught in a police raid in 2021, stated that payment for sex in a brothel constitutes inducement to prostitution and cannot be seen as a normal customer transaction, since a sex worker is not a “product.” The court quashed charges under Sections 3 and 4 but allowed prosecution under Sections 5(1)(d) and 7. The judge clarified that labeling buyers as “customers” undermines the Act’s aim to curb trafficking, stressing that it is meant to protect individuals compelled into prostitution while penalising those who exploit the system through inducement. ‘You Too Committed Offence By Having Sex Outside Marriage’: Supreme Court Warns Married Woman Over Affair, Upholds Lover’s Bail.
Kerala HC: Paying for Sex in Brothel Is Inducing Prostitution, Not Customer Transaction
The Kerala High Court recently held that individuals availing sexual services in brothels can be prosecuted under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 since payments made for such services amount to inducing prostitution.
The Court observed that sex workers cannot be… pic.twitter.com/KT40IFx65d
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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2025 11:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
