Date:06/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/06/stories/2006110613210300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Police crack down on bars open late

Staff Reporter

Cases registered against 17 hotel employees

CHENNAI : The police raided several bars in the city, reportedly open beyond permitted hours, and registered cases against 17 hotel employees here on Saturday.

Following complaints that many licensed bars attached to hotels and lodges were functioning even after 11 p.m., the police conducted surprise checks.

Police teams found that many bars in Royapettah, T.Nagar, Mylapore, Teynampet, Triplicane and East Coast Road were catering to customers even after 12 a.m.

Cases have been registered against hoteliers, managers and bar men, and police initiating stepss to cancel the licenses, a senior officer said.

During the raids, police found out that some hotels in T.Nagar and ECR catered to their regular customers into the early morning hours.

sA star hotel in Radhakrishnan Salai was found with the bar functioning beyond permitted hours, and police picked up the manager and two other employees from the bar.

A popular hotel on Mount Road was found serving liquor to its guests in the restaurant, which was against the licensing regulation. Fourteen persons were picked up from the hotel.

On the East Coast Road, the police raided restaurants with no liquor licence.

The police registered cases under the Prohibition laws against 17 people for violating the licensing conditions.