KATHMANDU: The Metropolitan Police Range has rescued 39 minors from various hotels, dance bars and restaurants of Kathmandu.

A team of the police circles and sectors under the Metropolitan Police Range raided hotels and dance bars in Gongabu, Thamel, Koteshwar, Baneshwar, Balaju among other places in the capital city on Wednesday night and rescued the under-aged girls.

The girls were rescued in collaboration with Maiti Nepal and Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) based on information that these girls were forcibly made to work in hotels and dance bars located at these places.

Accordingly, police rescued three girls from Thamel, two from Koteshwar, 11 from Balaju, 14 from Gongabu and nine from Baneshwar. Among the rescued girls, 32 have been sent to Maiti Nepal and seven to CWIN Nepal for custody.

Police have arrested Dawa Lama, propreitor of Bebo Dance Restaurant in Thamel; Sher Bahadur Tamang, proprietor of River Side Dance Restaurant in Gongabu; Bijaya Singh Lama, proprietor of Rock Dance Bar in Gongabu; Asta Tamang, proprietor of Sivila Dance Restaurant in Gongabu; Shishir Rai, manager of Debit Fall Dance Restaurant in Gongabu; Dayaram Tatala, proprietor of Stage Dance Bar in Gongabu; Suman Shrestha, proprietor of Tiger Top Restaurant in New Baneshwar; and Bipin Shrestha, proprietor of New Town Restaurant in New Baneshwar, for employing under-aged girls.

Chief of the Metropolitan Police Range, Bishwa Raj Pokharel said that minors were forced to work, mistreated mentally and physically, not paid, and threatened at the hotels, bars and restaurants. He stated that preparation is being made to file a case under public offence against the arrested managers and proprietors of the hotels and dance bars.