TEAM HERALD
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CALANGUTE: Dance bars which were earlier shut down in Calangute due to controversial activities have re-opened as ‘restaurants’, but local politicians and police are now pointing fingers at each other for allowing these ‘restaurants’ to function for nearly a month.
A brawl at one such ‘restaurant’ on January 1 had prompted Calangute legislator Michael Lobo and Calangute panchas to meet Calangute Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo and demand the closure of the ‘restaurant’, which they claim, was nothing but a dance bar with a different name.
“The incident on January 1 was proof itself when locals were beaten up after being denied entry into the club. Under the guise of ‘restaurants’, illegal activities like prostitution are on a high at one site. This club was raided by former Director General Police of Police Aditya Arya and his police team,” alleged Lobo.
“The premises were earlier sealed, but they have been re-opened without obtaining permission from either the Calangute panchayat or Food and Drugs Administration (FDA),” he added.
“The police are not acting on the illegal activities despite being aware. We want the police to close them or force the owners to shut down their establishments,” said Lobo.
Claiming that the dance bars had re-opened as ‘restaurants’, Lobo and members of the Calangute panchayat met Calangute Police Inspector Nolasco Raposo to voice their displeasure in the matter.
Incidentally, two such ‘restaurants’, which were earlier shut down as dance bars, have been running for over a month and it is unlikely that they would have gone unnoticed by local leaders, given that they are prominently located in Calangute.
When asked if his decision to demand the closure of the ‘restaurant’, which has been running for over a month, was provoked only because the brawl, Lobo replied: “Our decision to force closure of dance bars, which are now restaurants, does not have any link to the attack on locals, but that (brawl) should not have happened. I had sent my persons to verify activities inside these so-called restaurants.”Former MLA Agnelo Fernandes also questioned the sincerity of Calangute police in their raids on dance bars.
“Calangute police has been raiding and arresting some persons involved in prostitution racket, while letting off the big fish. How can you justify the rescue of only two-three girls every time a raid is carried out? Criminals have a free hand while the innocent are brought to book and are being punished by the police,” he said.
“It is obvious that illegal activities do take place in some restaurants, which are nothing but dance bars. The Calangute MLA has to initiate steps to curb such activities,” said Fernandes.
When contacted, Raposo claimed that the police can do very little to close down a shop or establishment, other than providing police protection to local bodies in sealing the premises.
“We have rescued a number of girls involved in prostitution activities. Regarding restaurants running a parallel business of dance bars, we always acted tough when the matter was brought to our notice.”
“In this case, we are collaborating with the Calangute Panchayat to find a permanent solution. The police have limited powers and have to act within the permissible law. The owners have been asked to co-operate and close down their premises for the time being,” he said.
Incidentally, two such ‘restaurants’ were found shut since Thursday and despite efforts, the respective owners could not be contacted for comments into the activities at their ‘restaurants’.
