Sunday, 21 July 2013

Supreme Court judgement pave way for dance bars in Hyderabad

Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
The Supreme Court judgment on Tuesday has paved way for dance bars in Hyderabad too. Following the judgment in favour of operation of dance bars in Mumbai the Orchestra Artists Association in the city has decided to take up the issue with the government and also take up legal fight in AP High Court citing SC judgment.


Legal experts say that SC judgment is binding to all state as it opined the ban as violation of the constitutional right to earn on living.  Singing, dance and orchestra were banned in the bars in Hyderabad and Cyberabad in 2008 and cases are being booked against the violators. From then city dance bars are closed or operated as regular bars.
Assistant Solicitor General of India in AP High Court Mr. P Vinshuvardhan Reddy said,”Once the apex court declared the ban on the dance bars as illegal in latest case of Maharasthra latest case the said judgment can be applied to the similar clients of dance bars in various states. Even in the State of AP though the police commissioners banned the dance bars long back on the direction of High Court, but now the apex court judgment the bar owners and artists association who are intending to introduce dances in the bars can approach the high court by citing the judgment of Supreme court and accordingly they can run the bars in the Sate of AP,”
In Hyderabad alone there are 2000 artistes including male and female singers and musicians who are registered with the associations and around 100 dance and singing bars operated in both commissionarate limits earlier.
Orchestra Artists Association of Hyderabad general secretary Mr. G Babu Rao said ,”SC judgment is a big relief for us. We are going to knock the doors of government and AP high court based on this judgment. When bars with orchestra and singing operated we used to get regular incomes and now it is seasonal income only during marriages and functions. Apart from artists in Hyderabad there are singers coming from Mumbai too. In Hyderabad when orchestra bars operated they only allowed singing and slight movements of dance while singing. Total dancing is never allowed here,”
Legal experts say that the the Maharastha government may approach full bench or file a review petition for reconsidering of judgment by the Supreme Court. “Till then the judgment of apex court is binding on all the high courts and has to extend the similar relief if any cases are filed,” said Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy.
Managements are supposed to get amusement license from the police commissioners and home department. Earlier when amusement bars approached the high court it has given directions giving powers to commissioners of police to initiate action if dancing is noticed. From then even singing is not allowed in city bars. Sometimes in city took cases were booked for obscene and vulgar dancing. In 2008 the then Home Minister Jana Reddy informed state assembly that eight cases are booked in Hyderabad and Cyberabad limits.
Legal expert Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy said ,”Even the apex court in the latest decision is not allowing the naked or vulgar dance in the bars. if any vulgarity or not nudity exhibited by dancers and still the police have powers to book the cases under the city police acts and related penal provision in IPC for vulgarity. Further the apex court judgment is not a license to the bar owners  to operate erotic dances. Even for orchestra singing they have to take amusement licenses from authorities concerned,”
When contacted Commissioner of Police Mr. Anurag Sharma said ,”We haven’t got any information so far on the supreme court judgment,”

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