Karnataka HC rules in favour of women bar workers in Bengaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, May 16, 2015: Though the Supreme Court had permitted women to work in bars and restaurants while serving liquor way back in 2008, a strange rule of the Bengaluru police had prevented them from rendering services to customers in the nation’s IT capital.

But, this has finally come to an end. For, the Karnataka High Court has ruled in favour of the girls and directed the Bengaluru police not to interfere in their fundamental rights.

Earlier, following the SC order, a record number of girls had found employment in Bengaluru, once considered the pub capital of India. However in 2012, the Bengaluru police, under the Karnataka Police Act, made it mandatory for all pubs and restaurants to seek licence from them for employing women.

Subsequently, in 2013, four girls - Asha, Sufiya Begum Mansur, Manshi Sunar and Gulsana Pathan along with owners of 20 bars in Bengaluru, approached the HC seeking relief. The police contended that the bar owners misused the SC order by asking the bar girls to sing and dance in violation of rules. Therefore, they made it mandatory for the bars and restaurants serving liquor to provide the list of women employees and also seek a licence from them.

The HC’s vacation bench, which heard the case on Thursday, observed: "(Granting) licence under guidelines is not contemplated under law. They (bars) are covered under the Excise Act. So there is no need for licence (from the police)."

The police had even laid down specific uniform that the women employees of bars and restaurants would wear during their working hours. All these norms had kept the girls away from seeking jobs at bars and restaurants. With the Karnataka government extending the working hours of bars and restaurants till 1 am during weekends, the HC ruling has now come as a shot in the arm for pub and bar owners.

"We cannot let customers misbehave with our staff (women). We know it is a bit risky, but we will keep an eye on patrons who try to act smart," said the proprietor of a leading lounge bar in UB City. Incidentally, most of the bars and restaurants have doubled the number of bouncers ever since they hired women.


Courtesy: Indiatoday