BENGALURU: Proprietors and partners of several bars and restaurants in the city have moved the Karnataka High Court seeking directions to the state government and Commissioner of Police not to interfere with their lawful businesses employing women.
They accused the government and the police of closing down their business forcefully from September 28, 2018, citing law and order problems as bars and restaurants were employing women.
On a petition filed by an association of hotels, bars and restaurants in the state, Working Women Welfare Association and proprietors of 27 bar and restaurants in city, Justice B Veerappa on Thursday asked the state and other respondents to submit their response by November 19, the next date of hearing.
The respondents are Home Department, DG&IGP, Commissioner of Police, additional commissioners of police (East and West) and Deputy Commissioner, Central Crime Branch (CCB).
“Since women are not being allowed to work in bars and restaurants from September 28, 2018, several women employees and their families, consisting of school-going children, aged parents, are starving. These employees are solely dependent on bars and restaurants for their livelihood. They will face irreparable injury and loss if they are not permitted to work in bars and restaurants,” the petitioners claimed.
They contended that CCB police personnel entered the premises of the petitioners’ bars and restaurants on September 28 evening and informed that the State Government and the Police Commissioner have directed them to close their bar or restaurant, without any order.
The police had anticipated that there would be a law and order problem by employing women in a bar. “It is only an assumed shelter of their malafide intention,” they said.
They further stated that women were lawfully employed in bars and restaurants. They have been issued a ‘Nowkarnama’ as per directions issued by HC. They also installed CCTVs cameras by ehcih jurisdictional police stations could monitor them.
Hence, the question of a law and order problem would not arise. Therefore, a law and order problem cannot be the reason for not allowing women employees in a bar, they said.
They also alleged that the police raided the premises of a few bars and restaurants, besides filing false criminal cases against them and threatening women employees.
‘State depriving equal opportunities to men and women’
There are nearly 1,000 male and female employees. Their livelihoods are affected due to the closure of bar and restaurants of the petitioners. Police cannot restrain or prohibit women in a place where liquor is served. The action taken by the police is illegal and is a violation of fundamental rights. It would result in giving jobs based on sex and treating men and women differently.