Hapless bar owners seek salvation from police raids !

An association of orchestra bar and pub owners comprising over 1000 members facing monetary problems following the unprecedented raids by the Mumbai Police, have asked media persons to provide some salvation from the ruthless action that is being taken. The representatives of this association alleged that 'illegal action' had been taken by police, between February 18 to 20 to improve their recently tarnished image.

Speaking to media persons, president Sudhakar Shetty, of the Association Hotel And Restaurant (AHAR), claimed, " The police are interfering with matters of the excise department.

Why are these raids being conducted all of a sudden. There may be five per cent of owners who run illegal business who we condemn." " The raids are conducted on the basis of draconian laws which is very difficult for us to follow given the increasing customers at bars, hence, violations occur." If Shetty has to be believed, then in the past six days around 218 legitimate bar have suffered losses of Rs 12 crore and are automatically forced to shut down due to the raids.

Speaking to Neuz Daze, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Rajnish Seth, said, " The raids are made within the frame of law and we have booked them according to the violations pertaining to police licensing." Deputy Commissioner of police, operations, Rajkumar Vhatkar, said, " The men were booked under the Bombay Police Act sections 110,117 and 131. It means that we booked them for indecent behaviour in public, for exceeding the time limit, for employing more people then granted by a permit.

Also, on February 18, two women were arrested under Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act (PITA) from one of the bars." According to an official, arrests were also made, " when we caught men serving alcohol outside the ' permit room (bar)' in another room (restaurant)." The recent raids are not a part of a sudden drive. In the last three months, 28 bars were raided. Amongst these, licenses of three bars were permanently cancelled, licenses of 19 bars was suspended ( for a period between 5 to 60 days).

The raids were made after a news channel began showing clips of the alleged violations, resulting in Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Dayal ordering a crackdown on bars, said an official.