The name Voodoo has been synonymous with modern Mumbai, a city that had accepted and embraced the word ‘gay’ even before the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the IPC to decriminalise homosexual acts between consenting adults. But since March 30, the iconic nightclub where the famous rock band Led Zeppelin once gave an impromptu performance has not opened its doors for the public. The Colaba watering hole and discotheque, which stood as a symbol of the composite culture of a city that does not practice discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, has not opened since a police raid on it in March. The police claimed after the raid that they had busted a prostitution racket at Voodoo. Now, patrons of Voodoo from the LGBT community fear the nightclub might never open its doors again.

Voodoo in Colaba was raided by cops on March 30. Pic/Bipin Kokate