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Lady bar owners to strike if Bombay cops don't behave

Bar owners have threatened to go on indefinite strike against the 'repeated highhandedness' of the Bombay police and their attempts to extort money.

The bar owners and hoteliers will meet Friday night to decide their future course of action, said Fight for Rights Association of Bar Owners president Manjit Singh Sethi.

The agitation also enjoys the support of the Association of Hotel and Restaurants of India. If required, all hoteliers and bar owners are ready to join the strike.

Sethi said since the hoteliers have stopped paying hafta and started adhering to the 0030 timing for closing bars, the cops are unhappy and are deliberately harassing them. Their repeated attempts to extort money saying they would let them keep the bars open even after the stipulated time have failed, he said.

The FRABO president admitted that there were some black sheep in the business, who regularly pay hafta to the police and take favours from them. But now, the FRABO along with the police has started raiding hotels.

The police regularly threaten hoteliers, Sethi alleged.

The association has also complained to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and Police Commissioner Ronnie Mendonca.

Among the measures they suggested include bar timings to be extended till 0200 hours and the amendment of certain laws.

Sethi also alleged that the police are harassing women bartenders in bars which do not pay hafta.

UNI

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