The apex court of India has supported the Maharashtra government’s law banning showering of currency notes on girls in dance bars. However, the SC has questioned the state government for allegedly putting unnecessary conditions on bar owners like installation of CCTV cameras inside and ban on liquor during performances, which are in violation of the honorable court’s directives.
Saying that the practice is “against the dignity of girls, performing at the bars,” a bench of Dipak Misra and C Nagappan on Tuesday supported the state government’s decision to bring a new law to make showering of currency notes on dance bars a punishable offence.
Recently, the state government had framed ‘Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women Act, 2016,’ which says that “no person shall throw coins, currency notes or anything which can be monetised on the stage or hand over personally to a dancer or misbehave with the working women or touch her person in any place”.
In case of violations, a prison term of that can extend up to six months or fine which may extend up to ₹ 50,000 or both can be awarded.
The validity of the law had been challenged by the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association on the contention that showering of currency was a kind of tip given to performers and it could not be criminalised.
The bench, however, said, “Prima facie, we do not find any illegality in it. It is for the benefit of performing girls. A person watching the dance cannot throw notes at dancers. It is against the dignity of the girls.”
