Cops raid 10 dance bars, rescue 96 girls

BHUBANESWAR: The police on Friday night conducted surprise raids at 10 dance bars in the city as they were running their operations illegally. As many as 96 bar girls were rescued during the raids. Following verification of their identity, they were asked to leave.
Police said the raids were conducted after they received complaints that the bars were employing girls and were organizing music and dance shows in contravention of excise rules. “There is no rule in the excise department, which accords the bar licences, to employ or engage girls in bars either to serve liquor or dance before customers. The raids were conducted to warn the owners and rescue the girls,” city DCP Anup Sahu said.
Police, during identity verification, found that the girls belonged to West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Mumbai.
“The girls were advised not to get lured by bar owners and perform in the bars, as it is illegal. Since there is no provision in the excise rules for employment of girls in bars, there is no need to prescribe specific norms for engaging them,” the DCP added.
Police said they will write to the excise department about the 10 bars engaging girls. “Police have no power to seal the bars. The excise department have to take a call on whether to penalize the bars for engaging the girls or seal them,” a police officer said.
Police said investigation will continue to see whether the bar owners flout any other rules or have indulged in immoral practices. Action will be taken once the investigation is over, the officer added.
In August last year, the police had raided six dance bars and rescued 10 girls. But the bar owners, after a hiatus started engaging the girls. In 2014, the excise department had served notices to six bars here after a surprise raid revealed that women were engaged as dancers in bars.