Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday
suggested Maharashtra conduct a survey of all the restaurants
and bars, which hire female artistes to perform in in-house
orchestras, and said there seem to exist owner-police nexus.
A Division Bench of Justices J N Patel and Amjad Sayed
said there seems to be "a connivance between the bar owners
and the police" and suggested that the Anti-Corruption Bureau
(ACB) should investigate it.
"All anti-social elements gather at these places...but
often such bars are run as a joint venture between police
officers and bar-owners," the Judges said.
The court was hearing a bunch of petitions by bar
owners against alleged harassment by police.
The court said the petitioners` have not specifically
named any police officers in their petition.
The court adjourned the hearing till Friday.
The bar owners argued the police are harassing them
even though they have licence to operate till 1.30 am. Their
contention was that police force female orchestra artistes and
waitresses to leave the restaurants at 9.30 pm.
According to the bar owners, they possess all relevant
licences under the Bombay Police Act, which include permission
to operated a place of public entertainment, to serve foreign
liquor and to run orchestra.
Bureau Report
