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Dance events face police heat in Pune; case filed against Radha Patil-Mumbaikar
Police crack down on unauthorised dance programs during Dahi Handi, stressing organiser responsibility for permissions and certification to ensure public safety.
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Police action against dance and Lavani programmes during Dahi Handi celebrations has put the spotlight on the organisers’ responsibility to obtain mandatory permissions and submit required certifications before staging cultural performances.
While the Bibwewadi police have registered a case against dancer Radha Patil-Mumbaikar and two organisers for allegedly holding a programme despite permission being denied, the police in Kesnand have now separately refused permission for a proposed Lavani performance by dancer Aishwarya Jadhav Laturkar.
The Bibwewadi police on Monday registered a case against Patil-Mumbaikar; Bhushan Abhiman Sonawane, chairman of Empire Group A K Boys; and organiser Amol Kate for allegedly organising a dance programme without prior police permission. The event was held on Sunday at Bhairavnath Society, Ambamata road, Sukhsagar Nagar, Katraj.
According to the police, Sonawane and his group had planned Patil-Mumbaikar’s performance as part of their Dahi Handi celebrations and had approached the police for permission. However, the organisers and performer allegedly failed to submit the required documents, including certification from the Maharashtra State Stage Performances Scrutiny Board.
The police subsequently denied permission for the programme. Despite this, the performance allegedly went ahead. Police personnel visiting Dahi Handi venues later found out that the programme had been conducted, and registered a case.
Bibwewadi senior police inspector Ashwini Satpute said that the board’s certification is intended to ensure that performances do not contain vulgar or objectionable content.
“Without the board’s certification or approval, no one can organise cultural dance events. Accordingly, we have booked them under section 223 of the BNS and further investigation is underway,” she said.
Patil-Mumbaikar however said that the organisers had already applied for certification and possessed the receipt.
“We had already applied for certification from the board and have the receipt with us. We were informed that we could begin the performance on the basis of the receipt. However, after three girls, including me, had performed, the police intervened and stopped the programme,” Patil-Mumbaikar said.
“If the police did not want to allow us to perform, why were we allowed to start the programme in the first place? They should have informed us in advance that permission has been denied. Had we known this beforehand, we would not have reached the venue. Now, we will fight this legal battle and ensure that we do not perform at any event without obtaining all the necessary permissions in advance,” she said.
In a separate development, the police denied permission for a proposed Lavani performance by Aishwarya Jadhav, also known as Aishwarya Laturkar, at the Chhaya Group Kesnand Dahi Handi festival at Dhore Vasti in Kesnand.
According to the police communication to organisers, permission was refused over concerns about the nature of the proposed performance and its possible impact on law and order. The police cited the possibility of obscene gestures that could cause embarrassment or discomfort amongst the women attending the event. They also expressed concern that the performance could potentially lead to religious or social tensions and create a law-and-order situation.
DCP (zone 7) Abhinash Kumar said that public celebrations such as Dahi Handi attract large crowds and cultural programmes held during such events are therefore scrutinised from a law-and-order perspective.
“Large public celebrations such as Dahi Handi attract significant crowds and therefore cultural programmes held during such events are subject to scrutiny from a law-and-order perspective. Permissions were given accordingly,” Kumar said.
The police are continuing their investigation into the Bibwewadi case, while organisers of the Kesnand event are expected to modify their programme following the rejection of permission for Jadhav’s performance.
