8 persons held, 4 cops suspended as bar operates past deadline in Pune

8 persons held, 4 cops suspended as bar operates past deadline in Pune

Pune, Eight persons have been arrested and four police personnel suspended after a bar in Pune was found operating beyond permissible time limit, an official said on Monday. Police had launched a probe after a viral video purportedly showed some persons with a drug-like substance at the bar located on Fergusson College Road in Maharashtra's Pune city.

HT Image

Members of a right wing outfit allegedly pelted stones at the bar on Monday afternoon and vandalised its board, police said.

Some visuals of it surfaced on social media. According to the police, the bar was operating till 5 am on Sunday and liquor was being sold beyond permissible time limit. Bars and pubs in Pune are allowed to remain open till 1.30 am. "We have arrested eight persons, including owners and employees of the Liquid Leisure Lounge after it came to light that the establishment was operating beyond the permissible time limit on Sunday," Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar told PTI. Those arrested have been booked under Indian Penal Code section 188 and relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act, Maharashtra Prohibition Act, and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, he said. An inspector, an assistant inspector and two beat marshals from the Shivajinagar police station, who were on night duty, have been suspended in connection with the case, the official said. Asked about the video showing some persons with a drug-like substance at the bar, another police official said they were looking into it.

On Monday afternoon, members of a right wing organisation vandalised the board of the establishment and damaged some plant pots kept outside the premises.

"Some members of the Patit Pavan Sanghatana allegedly damaged the board of the bar, pelted stones at the bar and damaged some plant pots kept outside the establishment," a police official said. Pune MP and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol in a post on X said though the action of suspension has been taken immediately, the police commissioner has also been instructed to launch a dedicated drive against narcotics and depute a separate manpower for it. "All colleges, pubs, hotels and other suspicious places should be searched with strict action. Police have been instructed to go to the root to see how drugs are available in the city," he said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.