Record bar raids on videos, says HC

In a bid to curb exploitation of female waiters and singers in bars and restaurants, the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday asked the city police commissioner and secretary (home) to record the raids using videography. HT reports.

In a bid to curb exploitation of female waiters and singers in bars and restaurants, the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday asked the city police commissioner and secretary (home) to record the raids using videography.

HT Image

“It’s high time the police authorities used technology such as videography during raids, by which the actual time of the raid can be known,” said a division bench of justice PB Majmudar and justice RM Sawant.

While the videos would assist in bringing the police officers who seek services in the bars to book, the customers’ wives will also know where their husbands have been, the court said.

The court made this remark while hearing a petition filed by Shivraj Hotels and Resorts, alleging harassment by the police on the grounds that their licence for public entertainment was in the name of a former director of the hotel.

Petitioner’s lawyer RD Soni stated that the police are harassing them despite their application for a name change in the licence.

The assistant government pleader pointed out that the hotel had applied for name change only on August 18 and that they cannot issue a licence in the name of the establishment. “If the licence is in the name of a company it will be hard to find someone accountable,” the court said.

The court was also informed that there are around 300 bars in the city where female waiters and singers work. On the issue of exploitation of female waiters, justice Majmudar stated: “Let the government come up with some kind of regulation.”