Mumbai Bar Owners Move High Court Alleging Harassment by Police Officers
Mumbai, 20th October 2025: The Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (Aahar), a trade union representing bar, restaurant, and orchestra owners in Mumbai, has filed a petition in the High Court alleging harassment and abuse of power by police personnel under Andheri and Vile Parle jurisdictions.
The petition claims that police officers frequently enter licensed bars and restaurants without orders, harass women employees, take selfies, and interfere in legitimate business activities under the guise of moral supervision. Aahar states that several senior police inspectors and their subordinates repeatedly enter establishments without valid reasons.
Highlighting a specific incident on May 23, 2025, at Hotel Mayuri in Vile Parle, the petition alleges that police officers demanded free drinks, took photos with female staff, and disrupted normal operations. Aahar has also challenged an internal circular issued by the Senior Police Inspector of Andheri on April 11, 2025, which instructed constables to monitor bars and restaurants from 1 am to 4 am. The association describes this order as arbitrary and unconstitutional.
The petition does not implicate the state government, the Home Department, or the Mumbai Police Commissioner but argues that these actions violate the Maharashtra Civil Services Code of Conduct as well as fundamental principles of administrative discipline and public accountability.
The court has sought intervention from the concerned police commissioner and senior inspector, asking them to provide duty logs, beat movement registers, and wireless logbooks to verify whether the officers were officially deployed. Additionally, Aahar has requested preservation of call detail records, mobile location data, and CCTV footage at police stations. The association has also urged the court to conduct a time-bound departmental inquiry into the alleged misconduct and restrain police personnel from entering bars and restaurants without legal orders.
