36 bar girls held in Chembur for working overtime

Bars operated beyond the stipulated time; girls indulged in indecent behaviour

The police have arrested 36 bar girls and three managers from three bars in a raid in Chembur. The bars – Hot Spot, Hotel Banzera and Antakshari – were allegedly operating beyond the stipulated time. Police sources said the bar girls were involved in indecent behaviour.

The raid commenced at 11pm on Saturday which went on up to the next morning on Sunday. Sub inspector Swapnil Dhule said the raid was conducted on instructions given by assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Shamrao Jedhe.

“Acting on a tip-off, we sent the policemen posing as customers to the three bars. The bar girls were caught red-handed while accepting money from customers,” he added.

The girls arrested had been working in various bars in the city for the last five years. “The girls hail from Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and from different states across the country. They are produced before the holiday court and sent for medical examination at the Nagpada police hospital,” he said.

The police said the hotel had several private rooms, from where several immoral activities took place. Also, they said, the bars had secret exit points.

The arrested 36 girls and managers K Raghu (Hotel Banzera), Krishna Patil (Antakshari), and Manju (Hot Spot) had been charged under section 294 (obscene acts and songs) and the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) and remanded in one-day custody.