Mumbai bar girl ‘commits suicide’

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Will the Maharashtra government own moral responsibility to Meena

and other bar girls who may take a similar path? (Please refer to

the news item below)

If the government cannot provide for the safety and economic

security of its citizens, how can it take the moral high stand? If

the Maharashtra govt. feels it is immoral and demeaning for women to

be employed as bar girls, fine, then it should take the

responsibility of providing alternate livelihood options that can

compensate for the current earnings.

Sreeram

setlurs01@...

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Mumbai bar girl `commits suicide'

MAYA AGARWAL

Posted online: Thursday, September 08, 2005 at 0217 hours IST

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 7: A former bar girl allegedly committed suicide

yesterday at her Goregaon house in suburban Mumbai, police said

today.

Details of what allegedly drove Meena Raju, 35, to hang herself from

the ceiling fan are unclear but police said a number of dancers have

been in a bad way after the Maharashtra Government banned dance bars

on August 14.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Karale said a suicide case was

registered at the Goregaon Police Station after Meena's body was

found.

No suicide note has been found and no one has stepped forward to

claim her body. Meena, an alcoholic who was working as a bar girl

for the last 11 months, lived alone.

Sitabai Sonavi, a neighbour, reported the incident to the police

around 7 am. Prahlad Jadhav, another neighbour, said police took

away the body at 10 am to Hospital for a post-mortem.

According to Meena's landlord, Rajinder Sadabe, " She was originally

from a village in Karnataka and had been living in this room for the

last 11 months. She did not have anyone in her family. "

The former bar girl's neighbours said they did not know why Meena

would attempt suicide but one of them said that she had turned

pensive after the ban on dance bars came into effect.

Investigating officer Shailesh Kale said his team was working on the

case.

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=77746