Supreme Court : Maharashtra Dance Bars case again came up for hearing before the Supreme Court. Discussion centred around some of the conditions imposed by the Government for allowing hotels and restaurants to operate wine bars and dance bars.
On condition No. 1, there was generally an agreement between the parties that there ought to be an opaque partition between restaurant for general public and permit room where liquor was to be consumed.
On condition No. 2, the Court directed that there should be 3 feet railing instead of non-removable partition around dance platform.
On condition No. 5, there was a general agreement that Government could insist that only four dancers/artists could perform at a time. The Court however clarified that it was not necessary that other artists must go out of the premises.
On condition No. 10, there was an agreement that Government could insist on verification of antecedents of employees but this verification must be confined to criminal behaviour only.
On condition No. 11, it was agreed that premises could not be altered/modified without permission of the competent authority but at the time it was also clarified that aggrieved party could approach the Supreme Court against wrong denial of permission.
On condition No. 12, it was accepted that there should be no concealed cavity or room for hiding the performers/staff but at the same time there should be a room which can be utilized as a green room (lounge or waiting room for performers).
Condition No. 15 relating to installation of CCTV cameras was modified by declaring that cameras could be installed at the entrance of the premises but not inside the restaurant or permit area for consumption for liquor, or performance area of dance bars.
The matter would again come up for hearing after two weeks. [Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association v. State of Maharashtra, Writ Petition No. 793 of 2014, Order dated March 2, 2016 ]
