The High Court, however, said that the petitioner had misread the TN Act and the Supreme court judgement. These laws are meant to protect and rehabilitate sex workers but the State Act and the Supreme Court had never said that running a brothel was legal.
“The Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956 has been enacted with an aim to prevent the commercialisation of vices and the trafficking of females. This Act does not declare sex work as illegal. However, it prohibits running of brothel centres. No doubt adults can have sex, but soliciting people and luring them into sexual activities are illegal. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the above cited judgment has stated that voluntary sex work is not illegal, but running brothel is unlawful,” the High Court said.
Source: Barandbench
