Bengaluru: Several bars and restaurant owners have approached High Court challenging the police action asking them to close for employing women.
Around 28 such bars and restaurants headed by Karnataka Hotel's Bar and Restaurants Owners and Working Women Welfare Association have filed the petition, seeking directions to the police to not interfere in their business.
The petitioners have contended that on September 28, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police entered the business premises of the petitioners and forced them to close down their respective bars and restaurants without any order served on any of the petitioners.
The police further threatened to raid their premises and file criminal cases against them if they do not close down their businesses, the petitioners alleged.
Following this the petitioners state that they were forced to close down their business from September 29, 2018.
The petitioner associations and its members stated they had approached the CCB Police authorities and asked them to give them the order regarding closing down the business but no such order was produced by the police.
According to the petitioners the reason cited by the police for closing the business of the petitioners was that they employ women to serve liquor and this leads to law and order problem.
They police also added that they were given specific instructions by the state government.The bar owners alleged that police also directed them not to employee women in bars and restaurants.
The petitioners pointed out that nearly 1000 women were working in bars and restaurants and they will be deprived of their livelihood. They added that the closure has also affected nearly 1,000 male employees.
The court directed the state and the police to submit their response and adjourned the hearing to November 19.
Belagere seeks to quash supari case
Journalist and editor of ‘Hai Bangalore’ Kannada weekly tabloid Ravi Belagere has approached High court seeking to quash the case filed against him with regard to allegedly givingsupari to kill hiscolleague Sunil Heggaravalli.
The CCB had filed a chargesheet in the case against Belagere on charges of allegedly giving supari to kill his colleague Heggaravalli. The chargesheet was submitted to the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court.
Belagere was arrested following the confession made by Mundewadi, a sharp shooter. He had reportedly told police that Belagere had given him a .32 revolver, two bullets and a knife, to kill Heggaravalli.
