Police in Hyderabad have arrested four female dancers after several media reports claimed that they were complicit in stripping naked a fellow dancer because she refused to have sex with a male customer. The male customer in question, identified as Sayyad, is believed to be absconding.
The 25-year-old dancer, according to Bangalore Mirror, alleged that a police patrol party had passed by but refused to rescue her from her tormentors. Hyderabad’s Panjagutta station house officer B Mohan Kumar has said that the victim’s allegation was being verified and action will be taken against the guilty officers of the patrolling duty. The alleged incident took place on Friday night when the victim was on her way back home after completing her bar assignment.
“After I approached the Panjagutta police, with help from customers, the cops collected details from me and said they would look into the matter. Minutes later, four persons who assaulted me also came to the station, and the police had friendly discussions with them,” the victim was quoted by The New Indian Express.
All accused from the dance bar have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (using criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Performing dance inside bars is not allowed in Hyderabad and cops are now contemplating action against the bar management for breaking the law. The victim in question worked in Telugu films as a junior artist until January this year before her poor financial condition pushed her to earn a living by dancing in bars.
“Recently, the management of the bar started asking her to visit customers and perform sexual activities with them,” the police in Panjagutta was quoted by news agency ANI.
Director General of Police (DGP) Telangana Mahender Reddy has reportedly sought a detailed report of the incident.
