During the raid at a bar in Thane, 19 people were arrested by the police. (Representational)
Nineteen people were arrested after an orchestra bar was raided in Kashimira area in Thane district of Maharashtra in the early hours of Saturday, Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police said.
During the raid, which took place around 3am, a secret cavity was discovered in a wall of the restaurant where four women were being kept in extremely dingy and dirty conditions that could have led to their death, said senior inspector Sanjay Hazare of Kashimira police station.
The bar was functioning covertly despite all such outlets being asked to remain shut under "break the chain" restrictions to curb the COVID-19 outbreak, he added.
"We have arrested 19 people, including several customers and six bar staffers. We have booked them under various charges, including section 308 of IPC due to the presence of the women in the cavity," the official added.