Bhubaneswar: Cracking the whip on the illegal dance bars mushrooming in the capital city, Commissionerate Police Friday night conducted surprise raids on 11 dance bars in different areas of Bhubaneswar and rescued as many as 96 girls.
Based on frequent complaints against the dance bars for allegedly operating and employing bar girls without necessary license and amplifying loud music till late night, a joint team of 4-5 police stations launched ‘Operation Dance Bar’ and raided the dance bars in Laxmi Sagar area and some on Cuttack Road last night. They also rescued 96 girls from the bars and detained them at the police station for interrogation.
It was found that the bars had engaged many dancers from West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai, Punjab and Haryana, apart from Odisha girls. However, the girls were later released after a detailed investigation and verification of their identity.
Police sources also claimed that despite restrictions, the girls were found serving alcohol to the customers during the raids.
Meanwhile, Commissionerate Police has informed that the licence of the dance bars will be checked while a probe is underway to find whether the bars were involved in any kind of illegal activities. Police will also investigate whether rules laid down in the bar licenses are being strictly followed by these dance bars, and then submit reports to Excise Department and Police Commissioner.