Women rescued from secret room in Mumbai dance bar

In a bizarre incident, Mumbai Police have managed to rescue 17 women from the confines of a secret basement located behind a mirror in a Mumbai dance bar located in Andheri. The discovery of the secret room was made after a tip-off was made to police citing women being forced to dance for customers at the bar. A local NGO had also complained of the bar flouting Covid protocols.

The 15-hour raid was conducted by the social service wing of the Mumbai Police in Deepa's Bar, located in an upscale part of Andheri. The actual discovery was made purely by luck as the initial raid did not uncover any trace of women being kept on the premises.

The owner and staff were also in denial that any women had been forced to act as bar dancers for patrons, a report by NDTV said. Questioning of staff and owner continued for hours as the police searched every room in the building, even the bathrooms, only to come up with nothing.

Police eventually managed to smash a large mirror hanging in the makeup room to reveal a secret passage that led to a small room where 17 women were apparently living. The mirror was fashioned to be an entrance to the women's prison. The room was equipped with living facilities like air conditioning, food and water the police said.

Acase has been registered against 20 people, including the staff including the bar's manager and cashier. The bar has been sealed pending investigation according to media reports.