OYO blacklists hotel following allegations of flesh trade

·         OYO permanently terminates the contract with Hotel Resort Stay Inn in Nagpur after allegations of immoral activities in its premises

·         It is planning legal action against the hotel and individuals allegedly involved in immoral activities

·         The decision came after thorough review of facts and circumstances

·         This aligns with OYO’s ongoing program to promote safe and secure hospitality

Global hospitality technology platform OYO has permanently blacklisted and terminated its contract with Hotel Resort Stay Inn in Nagpur following allegations of flesh trade. It is also planning to pursue legal action against the hotel and individuals involved to ensure accountability. Police have arrested six people including the hotelier, and a case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act.

The allegations prompted OYO to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. After careful review and consideration, OYO found out that the hotel had unilaterally ceased its business association with OYO before the allegations came to light. However, OYO has decided to blacklist the hotel. This decision aligns with OYO’s ongoing program to promote safe and secure hospitality.

OYO expressed its appreciation to those who brought the allegations to light. The company encouraged anyone with information regarding similar incidents to come forward, assuring them that their concerns would be addressed promptly and professionally.

Commenting on the development, Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, OYO said “OYO has a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of illegal or immoral activities on its hotel premises. We are implementing enhanced monitoring and auditing procedures to prevent such incidents in the future. We remain committed to working closely with law enforcement agencies and local communities to create a safe environment for our guests”.

OYO launched a national program in November 2023 to promote safe and secure hospitality in partnership with law enforcement agencies. As part of the initiative, it has conducted joint seminars with police in several cities such as Noida, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Meerut and Bangalore, which brought together key stakeholders from the hospitality industry, law enforcement agencies, and OYO's hotel partners. The discussions focused on various aspects of safety and security, including best practices for ensuring guest safety, handling emergency situations, and collaborating with local authorities.

OYO has a robust safety and security system to ensure that hotels listed on its platform must comply with the safety related laws and guidelines issued by the local law enforcement agencies. It also provides regular safety and security related training to its hotel partners and their employees to watch out for red flags such as guest behavior and unusual check-in patterns and take preventive actions.