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MUMBAI: Mumbai’s outdated laws and the police’s zeal to enforce curfew hour at a plush South Mumbai lounge bar ended in chaos in the wee hours of Saturday, with patrons accusing them of highhandedness and the police, in turn, booking two persons for "manhandling" and preventing them from doing their duty.

More than 200 people, including young women, were bundled inside police vans and taken to the M R A Marg police station after upscale lounge and bar, LIV, at Kala Ghoda in Fort area, failed to stick to the closing deadline of 1.30am. Eyewitnesses said there was a lot of shoving and pushing outside.

Lathi-wielding police herded everyone out into large police vans -- usually used to ferry undertrials—and took them to the police station around 2 am. They were kept waiting, with no reason cited, for an hour, after which a few men began to plead with the police that at least the girls be allowed to leave. They then pushed at the gates and everyone left.

A patron who works as a banker said, "There were inadequate women police personnel when they were brought to the police station." Another complained, "The police were rude and just pushing us into the van. They did not even allow me to wait for the group, which included two girls I was with to come out. They didn’t ask for any details or tell us why they wanted to force us in the van like petty criminals."

On Saturday morning, the police lodged an FIR against two persons -- the owner LIV Lounge & Bar Ritik Naseem and advocate Archit Jaykar, a patron who was among those rounded up. They booked them under Indian Penal Code’s sections 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506-II (criminal intimidation).

The lounge owner was also fined Rs 12,500 under the Bombay Police Act for violating the closing-hour deadline. The two were apparently among the 10-15 men who tried to push open the police station’s gate even as the police, on the other side, tried to push them back.

A total of 21 patrons were fined--seven women and 14 men--under Section 110 of the Bombay Police Act for misbehaving with the police.

The local deputy commissioner of the police had found that the lounge was open beyond the deadline--1.30am--and asked the police to take action, an officer said and added that they reached the lounge at 2am. When they asked patrons to leave the premises, they ignored the request and refused to share their personal details, the officer said and added that some patrons even manhandled the police which is why they took them to the police station.

Jaykar said, "The reason why some of us got agitated was because the cops kept us in the dark. We were 200 of us in the compound of M R A police station, nearly 20 policemen were standing outside the gate to ensure that no one could leave. It was unnerving for many. The police kept telling us to wait for the DCP. We waited for an hour. Eventually at 3.30am, we told the police to let the girls, who were in partywear, to go. If you wish you could keep the men behind. When the police did nothing, we said we would leave."

Jaykar added that the police did not them ask for names and addresses at the venue. "Even when we were at the police station for an hour, they could have taken down names and addresses, but they didn’t. They took down names of only 40 persons. When we asked why were here, they kept saying ask the other officer, then asked us to wait for the DCP."

A patron said, "The police really exceeded their powers. They at best could have fined us or asked us politely for our names, which they did not. No one knew what was happening at that time."

"The wee hours of the beginning of a weekend were thus spent in shock and fear by a large number of those who were rounded up for staying over-hours at the lounge," said one girl. "Assuming the lounge or bar doesn’t shut at 1.30 am, how does it become an offence of the patrons?" asked another.

When TOI contacted the police, they confirmed bringing the patrons to the police station. One officer said it was because the closing deadline was violated.