JOIN USThe Karnataka High Court on Monday directed some city ‘live band’ joints operating in buildings constructed after 1977. The establishments were asked to arrange for an occupancy certificate and submit their applications to the police for consideration within 30 days.
The bench also declined the request of the joints for allowing them to operate with pending consideration of applications. For the live band joints that are operating in buildings constructed before 1976, the owners will have to obtain a structural stability certificate by the jurisdictional officer in lieu of the occupancy certificate.
Justice Aravind Kumar passed the interim order while hearing a batch of petitions filed by owners of several live band joints. The petitions questioned the legality of the notice issued by the city police to the owners of pubs, playing live music, for not having an occupancy certificate.
The police have issued a closure notice to the live bands and the bars and restaurants in the city as they had not obtained licences as per the provisions of the Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment Order, 2005.
As per this order, producing an Occupancy Certificate and the application seeking a licence is a must. This order, which regulates the restaurants and live bands, was upheld by the Supreme Court in January 2018.