Illegal bars in cop crosshairs, 20 shut down

Following Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik’s strict diktat against illegal bars, around 20 such establishments have been shut down in the northern suburbs.

Teaming up with local police, assistant commissioner of police Vasant Dhoble (attached with the social service branch) raided several illegal bars, including dance bars pretending to feature ladies’ orchestras.

According to police sources, several bar owners were booked under the PETA (Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act) for the latter.

“Bar owners’ businesses have dropped drastically after the police started the raids. Many of them are scared of the PETA, and so they decided to close the bars and fight it out in a court of law,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

“Around 20 bars have been shut down. We have zero tolerance for any illegal activity. Nobody is allowed to run a bar by flouting rules and regulations,” said Mahesh Patil, deputy commissioner of police, Zone-11.

“We have asked all our members to run their businesses by following all the rules and regulations. Some people will break the rules, but police should not harass innocent bar owners. We have asked all the people who have shut down their bars to approach us for help. If they are innocent, we will support them,” said Sudhakar Shetty, president, AHAR (Association of Hotels and Restaurants).