The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed dance bars to reopen in Mumbai — but imposed regulations such as barring CCTV surveillance inside them.
The top court said performers could be tipped, but forbade guests to shower them with cash.
As well, it said there should be a mandatory written contract between performers and bar owners — the structure of which could be left to them.
However, the Supreme Court said there was no need for a monthly salary.
It said there was no need for CCTV surveillance inside dance bars as it violates privacy.
A three-judge bench of Justices AK Sikri, Abdul Nazeer and Ashok Bhushan set aside Section 6 of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016 — which forbade the granting licenses to discotheques.
It said no licenses had been given since 2005.
Hotel and restaurant owners, performers and others had challenged the Act in separate petitions.
The Supreme Court observed that it was "unreasonable" to prohibit licenses for dance bars within 1 km of a religious structure.
During the hearing, the court had said that everyone has the right to earn a living. Earlier, the Supreme Court had lifted the ban imposed by the state government, after which the government had tightened and tightened the new licenses. According to the new law, bar can open only from 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm. No liquor will be served at any bar or hotel in the state where the girls dance.
There will be no wall between the dance bar area and customers The government had decided that a 3-ft high wall should be built between the customers and the dancers so that every dance could be seen but could not reach them.
In the area of Mumbai, the rules of having a dance bar at a distance of one kilometre from religious places are not logical.
Customers can give tips to dancers, but they will not lend money.
The court said that fixing the salary between the dancer and the owner is not correct. This right is not a matter of mutual contract between the owner and the dancer.
The court said that the bars will be allowed only from 6.30 to 11.30 in the evening.
The court also dismissed the rule of imposing CCTV in the dance bar.
