HYDERABAD: Fear of trouble post the Jubilee Hills gang rape incident has several pubs and clubs in the Jubilee Hills-Madhapur-Gachibowli belt shutting doors on groups or families if they are accompanied by anyone below 21 years.
While some have curated special lunch timings for parents to bring their children (below 10 only), a majority have turned their premises into 'adults only' zones. Even posters for special events now read 'exclusively for 21 years and above'.
"Pub owners are extremely scared after the May 27 case. Nobody wants to take a chance," said a co-owner of a popular brewery in Jubilee Hills.
Move has reduced pub profits
He added: "Though the police had asked pubs to disallow minors, we have gone a step ahead and banned their entry even if they are accompanied by adults." So, when healthcare professional Sneha Chaitanya tried to visit one in Gachibowli on Thursday along with her 18-year-old cousin, she was politely turned away. "I tried to explain that he would be under my supervision and we would just have lunch with no alcohol. But they refused," she said.
Confirming that the ban on youngsters below 21 is an independent decision of pubs and clubs, Telangana excise minister, Srinivas Goud said: "First drugs and now the rape case. Pub owners think they are in the firing line for the fault of a few errant characters. So, even though we have not issued any diktat, they have gone ahead and decided not to allow any minor."
The move has certainly depleted earnings, said owner of a club on Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills. "We used to make at least Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh a month from daytime non-alcoholic parties that largely comprised students in the 18-21 age bracket. We have had to put a stop to that now," he said. "The only bright side is that I don't need to deploy extra security to watch over an underage crowd," he added.
