Mumbai: City police today (Sep 13, 2004) justified raids on beer bars saying the step was taken on complaints received from members of public and disclosed before the Bombay High Court that most of the dancing girls detained by the cops were minors.

Replying to a petition filed by beer bar owners against repeated raids on their establishments, A N Roy, Police Commissioner, in an affidavit filed in the High Court, said raids were carried out after receipt of complaints from the people.

Justice V G Palshikar and Justice A Mohta admitted the affidavit and kept the matter for final hearing on September 28.

Fight for Rights of Bar Association, an organisation of bars and liquor shop owners, on July 30 moved the court urging for a direction to the police to stop raids on the beer bars.

The association claimed that continued raids on beer bars had affected their business and sought an end to it.

The petitions stated that the police carried out raids throughout the month of February and March and detained over 2,000 people, including bar girls, during the drive.

Pointing to the last police raids that took place on July 14 and 22, the petition said it is ruining their earnings.

The petition denied that minor girls were being used in the bars and said the police charges of obscenity and its abetment were wrong.