Cops find 19 bar girls behind kitchen wall during raid in Goregaon

Garden View bar in Goregaon was raided following an informer's tip-off

The Malad Police on Sunday rescued 19 bar dancers in a mid-night raid at an orchestra bar on Link Road in Goregaon. The girls were hiding in a secret cavity in the bar's kitchen. The team led by senior inspector George Fernandes swung into action after an informer alerted cops about the dancers performing on the floor past mid-night inside Garden View Bar & Restaurant.

By the time the police reached the venue at 12.30 am on Sunday, the girls had already hidden. But the police had sent fake customers to the bar who had sent them videos from the spot.

"So we were sure about the tip-off. We switched off the main power supply that caused a blackout and the bar dancers began shouting for help," said a senior officer who was part of the raiding team. When they couldn't locate the source of the sound, the cops grilled the manager, cashier and owner of the bar who ultimately showed them the kitchen cavity.

"It was made behind one of the walls of the bar's kitchen. We have rescued 19 bar girls and arrested 15 people including customers, manager, cashier and owner of the bar," said the officer. All the girls are adults.

All arrested have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC, Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms, Protection of Dignity of Women Act as well as the Maharashtra Police Act.

On November 11, mid-day had reported that senior police officers from 16 police stations between Goregaon and Dahisar have been conducting surprise checks at orchestra bars to ensure they are shut by 1.30 am. This began after repeated raids on bars by the Juvenile Aid Protection Unit (JAPU) of Social Service Branch (SSB) of Mumbai crime branch.

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