The Supreme Court Friday dismissed a petition seeking permission for playing of music by live bands in restaurants, which has been banned by new rules of Bangalore police.

Declining to entertain a petition by Karnataka Live Band Restaurants Association, a Bench comprising Justice Ruma Pal and Justice A R Lakshmanan gave it the liberty to approach the high court with the grievances.

The association had said that the rules relating to the Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005, published by the police commissioner, was coming in way of December 2 apex court order lifting the ban imposed on playing of music by live bands in restaurants in the city.

It said the rules did not stipulate any time limit within which the licencing authority was to decide upon the application for grant of licence.

The apex court on December 2 had allowed playing of live bands in the restaurants, but had warned that activities like dancing, gambling and obscene shows likely to cause law and order problems should not take place.

The Karnataka high court had upheld the ban till new rules were framed for carrying the business of live bands in Bangalore restaurants.

The state government had contended that the order to ban live bands was imposed as police had apprehended law and order problems and there was information that after the ban in Mumbai, dance bar girls were coming to Bangalore.