Kiwi bar club owner, Indian student spar over racism, groping row

NEW PLYMOUTH - A high-profile New Plymouth nightclub owner is brushing off allegations of racism after an Indian student claims he was denied entry because of his ethnicity.

According to the Taranaki Daily News, Indian student Swapnil Bhate has claimed that he was discriminated against by a New Plymouth bar last weekend, but Club 55 owner Stacey Lamb said that in the past two months his staff had taken a number of complaints from females about being groped by young Indian men.

“The bottom line is we were getting complaints about groups of young Indian guys behaving inappropriately around females in the club,” the paper quoted Lamb, as saying.Due to the fact comfort and safety are paramount in our club, we had to address the situation,” Lamb added.

Lamb recently won Outstanding Host at the 2010 Halamoana Hospitality Awards.hate, however, said he felt angry and humiliated last weekend when a bouncer at the club told them no groups of Indians were allowed in.

“Everyone there was shocked,” the 27-year-old said, a month after arriving in New Zealand. (ANI)