Despite recommendation by cops to suspend licences of notorious bars, district admin has turn a blind eye
Mira Road : The twin-city of Mira Bhayandar has earned for itself a dubious distinction of having a record number of notorious bars and lodges in its jurisdiction. The brutal murder of a local journalist by the notorious bar mafia has yet again exposed the murky world behind the glittering neon-lit institutions which have sprung in each nook and cranny of the twin-city.
While most of the lodges which located adjacent or above ladies orchestra bars facilitate prostitution activities, some of them have sprung up without adequate permission from the civic body. And those who managed to secure sanctions have carried out blatant structural changes to convert the premises into multiple miniature rooms to carry out their nefarious activities.
The Mira Road division of the Thane (rural) police, on their part, claim to have carried out more than 400 raids in the past couple of years invoking sections including 294 ( vulgar acts) and Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA). However, this has not deterred the mafia from carrying out with their shady business. Fearing problems in maintaining law and order, the then Superintendent of Police had dashed of a letter in 2012 to the revenue, excise and other concerned departments recommending suspension of licenses to some of the notorious bars and lodges operating in the region but in vain. Mocking at all norms, additional floors to lodges and even secret cavities n bars have been constructed to hide bar girls during police raids.
Although the issue has been discussed at length in several civic general body meetings, apart from formal notices, no concrete action has been taken so far. On the contrary, the administration has been issuing fresh licenses to lodges even after a resolution is passed in this regard a few years back.
Suresh Golani
