Police raid Hoppers again, found liquor being served to teenagers

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 3

In yet another raid in Hoppers restaurant in the posh Ranjit Avenue locality here, the police nabbed its manager for serving liquor to teenagers here on Saturday.

The police said that restaurant authorities had employed youths of less than 25 years of age who were serving liquor to hotel customers.

Police only harassing us, alleges owner

• Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Prabhjot Singh Virk said the police had registered a fresh case against the restaurant under the Excise Act, Juvenile Justice Act and under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code in this connection. The police have arrested the manager, Om Parkash, of Himachal Pradesh. He said the restaurant owner was yet to be arrested in the case.
• The police had earlier raided the restaurant on the intervening night of May 29 and 30. The police alleged that the restaurant was illegally serving liquor as its licence had expired and the police had confiscated 27 boxes and 266 bottles of liquor. The police arrested the manager who was released on bail at that time.
• Rajanbir Singh, owner of the restaurant, alleged that the police were trying to register false cases against the restaurant only to harass them. He said they had the bar licence issued by the Excise Department with them.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Prabhjot Singh Virk said the police had registered a fresh case against the restaurant under the Excise Act, Juvenile Justice Act and under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code in this connection. The police have arrested the manager, Om Parkash, of Himachal Pradesh. He said the restaurant owner was yet to be arrested in the case.

The police had earlier raided the restaurant on the intervening night of May 29 and 30. The police alleged that the restaurant was illegally serving liquor as its licence had expired and the police had confiscated 27 boxes and 266 bottles of liquor. The police arrested the manager who was released on bail at that time.

A day after the raid, the restaurant owner in a press conference had termed the raid as illegal while pointing out that the Excise Department had already renewed the licence. The police on the other hand had pointed out that the restaurant was misleading the mediapersons.

Today, the police again conducted a raid at the same restaurant on Friday night. Virk said the boys who were serving liquor were aged between 19 and 20. Three girls were also found serving liquor in the restaurant. Even those consuming liquor were in the 17-19 the age group. He said the restaurant authorities did not hand over the DVR of the CCTV cameras.

Rajanbir Singh, owner of the restaurant, alleged that the police were trying to register false cases against the restaurant only to harass them. “We have a video in which an elderly man was serving liquor to teenagers who were accompanying him,” he said. He said they had the bar licence issued by the Excise Department with them.