Under the laws of the country, prostitution is banned and the advertisements allowing this activity should be stopped forthwith by the police authorities, said a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by activist Ali Ahmed Siddiqui.
Hearing the petition, a bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka asked the police what steps it had taken against such ads in newspapers and websites.
Sanjay Salunkhe, Police Inspector of Social Service Branch, filed an affidavit saying that Cyber Cell police had obtained an order from a magistrate's court to delete or block objectionable websites on internet which are providing online escort services.
However, it appears that till date no website has been blocked or deleted by the authorities, the police official said in the affidavit.
Besides, police had registered 25 cases under PITA (Prevention of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act) in the year 2014 on the basis of complaints received from the members of public. The corresponding number was 32 in 2015 and two this year, he said.