Bangalore, Jun 1 (DC):  City police commissioner B.G. Jyothiprakash Mirji has directed his officials to crack down on pubs and restaurants which employed dance girls discreetly. At a meeting with deputy commissioners of police on Tuesday, he directed his officials not to allow dance bars on the pretext of employing waitresses. A senior police official said that after several complaints of dance bars continuing to thrive, the police chief took serious note of it and ordered to stop all such dance bars. “After the High Court order, many bars and pubs employed waitresses. The problem is that on routine visits, police cannot keep checking if they also double up as dancers. Now, we have to find ways to stop such practices,” a senior police official said.

According to a government order, bar-and-restaurants or pubs need to obtain license to run a dance bar, known as live bands. This order came into force in 2005 when the then police commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh ordered closure of all live bands. Several associations challenged this and also moved petitions requesting permission to allow waitresses. In 2008, the Karnataka High Court allowed women to be employed as attendants in places where liquor served. The police have also requested Bengalureans not to create public nuisance when there are parties at homes.