Mumbai Police raids hotel, shames couples for indecency. Twitter spits fire

On August 8, Mumbai police rounded up 13 couples and 35 others following raids at hotels and a beach for indecent behaviour in public, provoking a storm in the social media which asked why consenting adults cannot stay together.

Consenting adults who checked into several hotels in Madh Island and Aksa area were in for a shock when they found policemen knocking on the doors of their rooms and rounding them up.

The arrests were made after raids were carried out by a team of police officials led by DCP Vikram Deshpande at several lodges, resorts, two-star hotels and on the beaches, police said. Of those arrested, 13 were couples, 35 were caught for consuming alcohol in public.

In addition, the police nabbed three women on charges of immoral trafficking and sent them to shelter home. All the people were arrested from Madh Island and Aksa Beach in western suburbs, said police.

Under the Maharashtra Police Act, which was earlier known as Bombay Police Act, or Local Act Case (LAC), the station house officer can let the accused go after taking the fine from them with an undertaking that they will appear before the local magistrate when required.

Read more here.

Twitter reactions:

Apparently #MumbaiPolice is has been in the habit of moral policing fr years but it's time to stop this nonsense.Far bigger issues to handle

— Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) August 8, 2015

I have shared a hotel room with a lover who wasn't my spouse. #MumbaiPolice #Hotels #StopMoralPolicing Pl RT https://t.co/z9qUZPSPql

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) August 8, 2015

Dear #MumbaiPolice arresting consenting adults is not what they meant when they asked u to hunt down sleeper cells

— Neeti Palta (@neetipalta) August 8, 2015

Dear #MumbaiPolice. Get after the criminals plz. Leave the genuine love birds deprived of privacy alone in their hotel rooms. Thank you.

— VijayThakkar (@vikingthakkar) August 8, 2015

I will stand by my kid/s if they are ever harassed by the police for sharing a hotel room with a lover. #MumbaiPolice #StopMoralPolicing

— Why Loiter? (@whyloiter) August 8, 2015

1. They were adults 2. They showed ID proofs 3. They were in hotel rooms How this became unlawful?? Public indecency #MumbaiPolice

— ????? (??????) (@Nautanki_) August 8, 2015

Who has been setting the KRAs for the #MumbaiPolice? #amused

— Mistress of Vices (@cyclopsee) August 8, 2015

Excuse me Sir @Dev_Fadnavis , can u please explain how is mutual consent of two consenting adults threatening public decency? #MumbaiPolice

— ?? ?? ??????? (@angryoungwoman) August 8, 2015

The cops exploit the communication breakdown between kids and their often conservative parents beautifully. Fucking vultures

— Rohan (@mojorojo) August 8, 2015

#MumbaiPolice deserve all the brickbats...but stop to pause n think who gave such instructions! Why have the cops never acted this way b4?

— Mohit Anand (@amohit17) August 8, 2015