Cops raid bar, find secret compartment

Mumbai: A few bar owners in the Mira Road-Kashimira belt have devised innovative new ways to hide female dancers and waitresses from the police’ prying eyes.

A seemingly routine raid at Hotel Sea Magic – a ladies service orchestra bar in Kashimira – turned into a massive search operation for a Thane (rural) police team led by assistant SP Atul Kulkarni on Thurs-day night. Acting on a tip-off, the police team raided the bar at around 11.30 pm on Thursday and rescued six girls who were being forced into the raunchy act.

The team spent hours examining the bar only to find that one of the steel shelves in the bar-pantry mounted on a portion of the wall was actually a cement door leading into a secret chamber for the girls to hide in case of a raid. The police rescued three more girls who were found holed up inside the secret compartment.

Apart from slapping relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibit-ion of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protec-tion of Dignity of Wom-en Act, the police has also imposed IPC section 308 against the owner, operator, manager and cashier of the hotel.