Under which law did you make Malwani arrests? HC asks State

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to explain under what provisions of law they had arrested people, including couples, during a raid on hotels in suburban Malwani for alleged indecency last month

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to explain under what provisions of law they had arrested people, including couples, during a raid on hotels in suburban Malwani for alleged indecency last month. The court has directed the state government to file an additional affidavit within two weeks to explain the same.

The HC query was in response to the police raid on hotels, resorts and lodges at Madh Island on August 6 in which 61 persons were arrested for indecent behaviour. The direction was given during the hearing of a petition filed by a Khar resident.

The petitioner’s counsel, Shilpi Jain, criticised the police for raiding the hotels and arresting people, thereby disturbing their privacy. Earlier, the government had contended that police had conducted raids on hotels after they received complaints from the residents of the area and the local MLA.

The state’s advocate Jayesh Yagnik sought more time from the HC to file an additional affidavit and the judges granted two weeks. The court had also sought to know under what rules or provision of law, are hotels asked (by authorities) to take down the names and copies of identity cards of persons who want to book a room.

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