Dance bars: Supreme Court asks Maharashtra to decide in 2 weeks on 60 licences

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Maharashtra government to process in two weeks 60 odd pending applications seeking licences to run dance bars in Mumbai and also ensure that no obscene dances are performed in such bars while it examines the legality of a fresh state law banning all such dance bars in the state.

Maharashtra’s earlier law, which banned dance bars except in upmarket venues such as three-star restaurants and beyond, had earlier been struck down by the top court as arbitrary. The state has since enacted a new law which has banned all such dancing activity in bars.

A bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant, directed the state government to implement in the interim an earlier court order asking the state to allow such bars. Justice Mishra said that the state was dutybound to give effect to the earlier ruling till the time the court examines the new law and takes a call on its legality.

The bench said that it will examine whether a blanket ban on all such activity violates a woman’s right to practise any profession she likes as also to what extent individual morality should be allowed to colour legal and collective morality.

The state government, represented by senior advocate Harish N Salve, said that a committee had been set up and would do so.