The Cyberabad Police also said that the permission for the club was not granted by the Telangana govt, and that it came into existence before June 2.
The Cyberabad Police on Tuesday clarified that the permission for Playboy Club was not granted by the Telangana government, and that it had come into existence before the formation of Telangana on June 2.
According to Cyberabad Commissioner C V Anand, the license to start the club was issued by the police and other departments including the GHMC, the fire department and the excise department strictly adhering to existing terms and conditions.
The police department only renewed the previous license given to Novotel and HICC Pvt Ltd permitting the playing of music and operating of a club in the name of "The Club", earlier issued on 21-12-2012. Subsequently, the club under went renovation, and Novotel and HICC authorities contracted a different entity by name "Playboy Hyderabad" to run the pub on the same terms and conditions as mentioned on the license issued on 21-12-2012.
Anand said that the allegations by some groups that the license was given by the Telangana government were thus false, since the Telangana government came into being on June 2, 2014.
The Commissioner further said that as many as 21 conditions were laid down for the running of the club in the proceedings by the police department on May 31 this year. These conditions made it very clear that they would not be any display of nude dances / acts / films, obscene gestures etc. Further, no obscene posters or nude/semi-nude advertisements in newspapers would be allowed in the marketing of the pub or any event related to it.
Novotel and the Playboy club management had undertaken to comply with these conditions, and any violation would lead to cancellation of the police license, he said.
"In light of the recent protests and apprehensions expressed by various groups of civil society, a fresh set of conditions has been issued wherein it has been made very clear that no woman should be employed within the club as a Bunny, Teaser, waitress or hostess, or in any other manner," he said.
Further, the police department has suggested to the management to voluntarily make changes to the name of the club so that it would not give scope for any apprehension or objections from women and student groups in particular, and from civil society in general, given the connotations associated with the name "Playboy".
The club had been targeted by protests from various women's organizations and student groups who objected to the use of the "Playboy" name.
The protesters contended that women may be used as waitresses - called as Bunnys and Teasers - to serve food and beverages, and act as hostesses, and were apprehensive of any other possible depictions of women in objectionable and indecent manners, thus setting an unhealthy trend in Hyderabad. (INN)