Major crackdown on illegal ‘dance bars’, 68 girls rescued

Mumbai Police have launched a major crackdown on illegal dance bars across the city and have rescued 68 girls from secret bar cavities in an operation that lasted less than a week. Police said there were several inter-connected cavities in the bar where the girls were hidden and these cavities led to dance halls. Three bar owners and managers were running illegal dance bars ‘in the guise of orchestra bars’, whose licences were issued during 2005, 2006 and 2016, police claimed.

In raids that began on May 26, teams of the Social Service Branch (SSB), led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shivdeep Lande, conducted raids at three illegal bars — Sharmili Bar in Dahisar (W), Rambhavan Bar in Andheri (E) and Natraj Bar in Ghatkopar (E). The SSB team has rescued 68 girls from these bars.

An officer confirmed that a few girls were on the dance floor, while others remained hidden in illegal cavities.

“It was very difficult to enter the cavity where the bar girls were hiding. Electric wires, air conditioners, water bottles, cosmetics, mirrors, etc were found in this space,” said an officer who was part of raiding team.

DCP Lande, who has been given additional charge of the enforcement department, said, “The owner and conductor of Sharmili Bar are wanted, while the conductors of Natraj and Rambhavan Bar have been arrested. We have also arrested customers, cashiers and waiters from these three bars and all of them have been handed over to the concerned police stations for further action.”

As per Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (working therein) Act, 2016, ‘dance’ is not allowed in orchestra bars.

The SSB team has recovered Rs 1.63 lakh during these raids. Action has been taken against the bars by the respective police stations under relevant sections, including obscene dance (294) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“There are over 450 bars (including orchestra, DJ music, live band, ghazal, etc) for amusement in Mumbai and these bars can be operational from 6am to 1.30am as per the guidelines. The SSB team or local police station is liable to take action if they flout the rules,". said a senior officer from the licensing authority of Mumbai police.

“In the last four years, we have cancelled the licences of 23 bars. This year we have cancelled licences of eight bars until now,” said Sachin Patil, DCP (HQ- I).