Pubs and bars cannot play live or recorded music without police permission

A recent Karnataka High Court on 107 pubs and bars in Indiranagar for violating various rules has given the much-needed respite to all other neighbourhoods reeling under commercialisation, including HSR Layout. With this order, no pub or bar can play live or recorded music without police permission. And the cops can only permit if the establishment has all the requisite approvals to run a pub or restaurant from various authorities. In January this year, the Supreme Court upheld a 13-year-old law that banned live music, which led to the crackdown on pubs and bars. This latest judgement will hopefully bring down the noise levels in neighbourhoods.

I Change Indiranagar, a collective of several resident welfare associations, won this case by arguing that the neighbourhood pubs and bars were violating several norms relating to noise, building bylaws, fire safety, parking, excise, and public nuisance, among others.

The licensing procedure is fairly elaborate and many establishments were seen functioning without licences, which led to their shutdown by the cops. For the police permission to play music, the joints need to submit the following documents to the authorities: BBMP’s building plan sanction, lease or title deed, partnership deed, occupancy certificate and no-objection certificates from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and an electrical contractor.

If you find any pub or bar playing live music in violation of Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005, take a video recording of it and complain to the cops. The establishment owners will be booked under Section 294 (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place to the  annoyance of others) of the Indian Penal Code.