Many years ago, the then-biggest red light in Surat at Mirza Swamy Road was closed by the authorities. Now Surat does not have any red light areas officially. But Surat has some places where the escorts and their managers run this business on the streets. These areas are widely popular among the local people who avail their services. Not having a designated red light area is also a reason that the prostitution scene has shifted online.
People find these services on the internet under the name of escort services. Call girls in Surat work through these services. Today, in this blog post, we will look at the full picture of the red light area in Surat.
Police Raids on Spas In Surat
Surat once had one of Gujarat’s most prominent red light areas, primarily located in Chakla Bazaar (also known as Variyavi Bazaar) and near Majura Gate, close to the central railway and bus stations. However, over the past decade, aggressive police raids and legal challenges have led to the formal closure of these districts. Some of them we are describing here:
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A current police raid in March 2025 in Rander busted a sex resort operating under the name of a wellness spa. They arrested 5 men along with 6 women. Police discovered that the call girls came from Thailand and Laos.
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In Adajan, Surat, police conducted a raid on a massage parlour. The parlour was practising prostitution in the name of massage. The police received a tip and raided the spa centre.
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In Sarathana, Surat police took action and raided a spa in Palladium Complex, Sarathana. They rescued 3 women from the spa. The police arrested four individuals, including the spa owner, manager, and two visitors.
These police raids and regular interference from the authorities push this business to shift to online platforms. Online platforms, such as apps and websites, help them put classified ads. Through these ads and it has become easy to find a companion. It has become easier and safer to find a companion because of these sites and mobile apps.
Key Places Associated With The Red Light Area In Surat
Chakla Bazaar (Variyavi Bazaar)
It was once one of Gujarat’s biggest red light districts. Some real estate businessmen forcibly vacated and dismantled the district. Now, here, high-profile sex work takes place in big hotels and private apartments. Hence, this is also the reason that the online presence of Escort Service in Surat is increasing.
Majura Gate
When you go to social media adn popular video platforms, you can find that people are reporting street-based sex work here. The agents of these call girls have ties with authorities. When the police raid, they pay some money and get away free. Local people consider it a red light area in Surat.
Surat Railway Station vicinity
In every city, in the area around the railway station, you can witness sex work in the form of soliciting. The local media have reported many times that the Surat railway station is a palace for commercial street-based sex work. You can find them around the bus and autoriksha stands. Police often target and raid them.
Present Situation
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Surat has no officially recognised red light area, anywhere in the city. Independent call girls are working online mostly. People hire them via online platforms. Finding online companionship is easy and safe for the clients and the escorts.
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Prostitution still happens here on the street, but is now in a highly scattered manner. The reason is that the police regularly look for illegal sexual activities.
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Recent government data show that Surat had the highest number of identified prostitution spots among Gujarat’s major cities, some years ago.
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The government and NGOs report that women rescued from such activities are sent to women’s protection homes. There, they receive vocational training to live their remaining life. Also, so many people related to these NGOs say that true rehabilitation remains a challenge due to societal stigma.
Even after the police raids and interference of the authorities, Surat still has escort services running offline, but they are mostly known to local people.
Legal and Social BackdropIn India, prostitution is not illegal. Any woman can use their body to earn money. But some measures are there to limit unethical activities like trafficking and abduction.
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Running a brothel is illegal.
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Forcing someone into sex work or prostitution is illegal.
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If someone is living on the earnings of a sex worker, like an agent or a brothel owner, then the law can punish them.
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Prostitution is banned within 200 meters of a public place like a school, temple, or hospital.
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Soliciting or asking for money for the exchange of sex in public is illegal.
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A sex worker can not seduce a person in public for sex work. If they do so, they can be punished under the law.
Sex work is legal if an individual conducts it privately without linking it to any brothel. Also, one cannot indulge in soliciting.
Conclusion
Once, Surat had the biggest red light area in Gujarat. But now, when people refer to a red light area in Surat, they are talking about a scattered, underground network, not a formal district. Most of the sex work has shifted to online platforms. One who does not know how to ward off his loneliness searches for keywords such as independent call girls India on the internet to find a companion. Online platforms like callsisfied ads sites and mobile apps have made this business safer for clients and the offerer.
But people need to understand that these services are illegal in India. Multiple organisations and administrative bodies are trying to find effective solutions, balancing law enforcement, rehabilitation, and social welfare to remove illegal prostitution.
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