Mumbai: Maharashtra Government today (Feb 25, 2004) banned children below the age of 21 from going to pubs, beer bar and permit rooms and the ban will be implemented from April 1 this year.

"Children below 21 years of age would not be allowed in pubs, beer bars and permit rooms from April 1," the State Excise Minister Anil Deshmukh told reporters in Mumbai.

Stating that Government has banned liquor and wine shops from using names of gods and goddesses for their establishments, Deshmukh said permit rooms, wine shops and beer bars would "have to rename their establishments".

"The decision will be implemented strictly from April 1," he added.

Six hundred bar girls, employees and customers were detained during raids in over 40 nightclubs and bars last night at prominent places in North, Central and Southern Mumbai to crack down on flesh trade and obscenity that had flourished in these nightclubs, police said.

These bars were also found violating Government norms by keeping the bars open beyond the stipulated time period, they added.

The nightlong operation carried out by all additional police commissioners and assisted by respective DCPs, was personally supervised by newly-appointed Mumbai police commissioner A N Roy who is reported to have conducted some of the raids, sources added.