Cracker ban goes up in smoke

Our Correspondent

Patiala, October 20

Residents burnt crackers and fireworks overnight despite the fact that the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) had fixed three-hour time for the purpose. The HC has allowed bursting of crackers from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Diwali evening, but the sounds of crackers were heard even after midnight of October 19 from several areas in the city.

The police have registered as many as seven FIRs against the miscreants across the district for defying the HC orders. The police had also booked nine shopkeepers for illegally selling and storing fireworks after two horrifying fire incidents in Patiala were reported from different markets; Urban Estate and Balabera.

The sound of rockets and fireworks could be heard even a day after Diwali in the city. Not just in the city, there were numerous violations even in the periphery of Patiala as people were seen bursting crackers after the fixed time.

Since Section 144 of the CrPC had been imposed in the city, violators of the District Magistrate were booked under Section 188 of the IPC and could be fined or imprisoned or both for violating the orders of the court.

Patiala SSP S Bhupathi said they had made common people aware about the ban with the help of PCR teams and public address systems.