A dancer performs at a dance bar in Mumbai
© AFP/File Indranil MukherjeeMUMBAI (AFP) - The Mumbai High Court overturned the ban on dance bars in Mumbai and the rest of western Maharashtra state, saying it violated sections of the constitution guaranteeing the "fundamental rights of livelihood."
The state government's order, which went into effect last August, had been challenged in court by bar owners, women activists and non-governmental organisations.
The estimated 700 establishments across the state employ more than 75,000 women who entertain customers with Bollywood-style song-and-dance routines and get showered with cash in return.
The state government had branded the bars in Mumbai dens of iniquity, fronts for prostitution and claimed they corrupted the young and provided easy meeting places for criminals.
The allegations were denied by the bar owners who say they only staged dance shows.
The ruling won applause from supporters of the dance bars who maintained the outlets were synonymous with vibrant nightlife in Mumbai, home to India's entertainment industry known as Bollywood.
"Our stand has been upheld. We plan to open some bars tonight (Wednesday) itself," said Pravin Aggarwal, vice-president of the Fight for Rights Dance Bars Association.
There was no immediate comment on the ruling from the state government which has waged a long campaign cracking down on the dance bars.
The dancers' labour union opposed the ban, saying many of its members would be forced into prostitution to earn a living.
In ritzy bars in Mumbai, frequented by well-heeled businessmen, dancers who usually bared only their midriffs were able to earn more than 100 dollars a day but they received far less money at down-at-heel establishments.
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