Kalyan ward officer among 37 arrested in dance bar raid

Kalyan: A Kalyan-Dombivli ward officer, two contractors and 34 others were arrested following a raid on a dance bar in Ulhasnagar on Monday night.
After receiving a tipoff that illegal activities were being carried out at Peninsula Bar in Ulhasnagar-4, Thane crime branch's unit 4, led by Ashok Koli, raided it and found that it was operating beyond permissible hours and that the dancers were allegedly indulging in "obscene behaviour". Koli said 24 dancers, six staffers and seven customers, including the ward officer were caught. The team also recovered about Rs 20,000 in cash from the bar.

Police sources said after being caught, the ward officer and the two contractors requested the team to free them. After a six-hour panchnama, those nabbed were handed over Hill Line police, who recorded their statements and released them after issuing them notices as the case was registered as a bailable offence.
Sources said many dance bars in Ulhasnagar have been flouting rules by staying open beyond permissible hours. Questions were also raised about the vigilance of Hill Line police, in whose jurisdiction the bar was operating.