The Allahabad High Court has expressed grave concerns regarding the safety and dignity of women in gyms, especially when being trained by male trainers. The observations of the court were made on August 27, 2025, while hearing an appeal made by Meerut gym trainer Nitin Saini who was accused of using casteist abuses and physically beating up two women gym members.
Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, who passed the order, noted, “It is a matter of serious concern that presently male gym trainers are imparting training to female clients without adequate safeguards to ensure their safety and dignity.” The court directed the investigating officer of the local police station to file a personal affidavit addressing whether Saini’s gym was duly registered, whether he had been arrested, and whether the facility employed women trainers.
According to the FIR, Saini allegedly harassed the woman with casteist remarks, physically abused her, and pushed her out of the gym on April 29, 2024. Saini is accused of making obscene videos of another woman and sending them to the complainant for the last few months.
Under the SC/ST Act, 1989 he was arrested. The sections of the Indian Penal Code Section 504 that says intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace and Section 354 that details about outraging the modesty of a woman also charged against him.
Noida Makes Female Trainers Compulsory in Gyms for Safety
Earlier this year, in January 2025, the Noida government was proactive in ensuring that gyms and fitness centres were safer for women by mandating that all gyms, yoga centres, and swimming pools hire women trainers. The government directive on January 5 came after a proposal from the Uttar Pradesh State Women Commission, in November 2024, to increase women’s safety in public places, suggested several guidelines.
According to the order by the Noida administration, gyms must employ female trainers, fit CCTV cameras with digital video recorders, and make sure all trainers possess Aadhaar cards for identification purposes. The order was meant to follow up on increasing concerns over the safety of women in gyms, in a similar manner that increased state-level actions included suggestions for women employees in boutiques and monitoring in salons.
Allahabad High Court’s intervention in the Meerut case and Noida’s policy shift reflect a developing awareness of women’s safety issues in gyms and a desire to have more stringent safeguards to protect them.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
