Twitter lashes out at Mumbai police's hotel room raids on consenting couples

On Thursday afternoon, the Malvani police raided hotels around Madh Island and Aksa beach after being tipped off by being an informer about a prostitution racket. While they booked three people under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act – ITPA, the police also took 40 to 50 consenting couples to the police station and charged them under the bizarre offence of 'indecent behaviour in public'.

They fined them Rs 1200, kept them in the station till 10 PM in the night and even made some of them call up their parents!

A female constable even slapped one of the girls when she pointed out that the police had no business rounding up couples! When the Twiterrati heard about this brazen misuse of the law, they lashed out. Here are some of the top tweets:

*Theft in city* Mumbai Police - Areh Jaau de re Mhatre *Couples entering room* Mumbai Police - THIS IS SPARTA !!

— Shaktimaan Thackeray (@Madan_Chikna) 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

It's raids like these in Mumbai that lead to the police's caricature-like portrayal in films. And do nothing for its global city aspirations

— Ashok Lalla (@ashoklalla) 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

The govt wants a monopoly in screwing you. No sex No porn. Only govt can screw you from now on

— Priyashmita Guha (@priyashmita) August 8, 2015

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

— आप की जुम्बिश (@angryoungwoman) August 8, 2015

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

— Mistress of Vices (@cyclopsee) 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

— सुरभि (नक्सली) (@Nautanki_) 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

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 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

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

Mumbai police locate the 2 flowers which were used to showcase love in the movies of the 80's and jail them for indecency !!#Moralpolicing

— Harshraj Sanghvi (@harshraj81) August 8, 2015

"We are arresting you for public indecency..."But sir, I'm in my home"... "Home is on a road, road is public... Chalo jail" #MumbaiPolice

— Ashwin Mushran (@ashwinmushran) August 8, 2015

Nice. I've always wondered what it'd be like to live in Saudi Arabia. https://t.co/L036KGNwFC

— Ashish Shakya (@stupidusmaximus) August 8, 2015

The dirtiest card the Indian police play with young people is the "I'll call your parents" one. Use it to terrorise kids into anything.

— Rohan (@mojorojo) August 8, 2015

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

— Rohan (@mojorojo) August 8, 2015

Will the Mumbai police learn their lesson after this online outrage? We sincerely hope so.