December 27, 2025 08:17 am (IST)
Follow us:
Better to dance than beg: Supreme Court on Mumbai dance bars
Mumbai, Apr 25 (IBNS) The Supreme Court on Monday said it is better to dance than beg in the streets as it heard the plea on the dance bars of Mumbai which had their licences suspended by the Maharashtra government in 2005.
The dance bars would have girls dancing to the tune of Bollywood numbers as people would shower money on them.
The apex court warned the Maharashtra government for not following its order earlier on giving them licences and said it is "better to dance than to go to streets for begging or earning livelihood through unacceptable means," said the bench headed by Justice Deepak Misra.
"We are treating it as a performance of art...mindset cannot be to prohibit," the bench observed.
"Dance is a profession. If it is obscene, then it loses its legal sanctity. However, the government regulatory measures can't be prohibitory," the SC said.
The apex court also asked the state government to remove clauses that the dance bars should be not in the one km radius of educational institutes.
The court had directed the Maharashtra government to grant licenses to bar owners within 10 days after they adhered to the modified guidelines.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
'Fugitives will be brought back': India after Lalit Modi–Vijay Mallya taunt video sparks criticism
Fri, Dec 26 2025
Bengaluru: Woman alleges molestation on Namma Metro; police file NCR, accused warned
Fri, Dec 26 2025
One month after Red Fort blast, Amit Shah reveals scale of foiled terror conspiracy
Fri, Dec 26 2025
'I made a mistake’: Actress Parno Mittra quits BJP, joins Mamata Banerjee’s TMC ahead of 2026 polls
Fri, Dec 26 2025
Matter of great concern: India condemns killing of Hindu youth in Bangladesh amid ongoing unrest
Fri, Dec 26 2025
Christmas vandalism sparks mass arrests in Raipur; Assam acts too with crackdown on 'religious intolerance'
Fri, Dec 26 2025
BJP's VV Rajesh becomes Thiruvananthapuram Mayor after party topples Left's 45-year-rule in city corporation
Fri, Dec 26 2025