Nightclubs, bars in city least bothered about police action

Nikhil Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, September 15

Liquor bars and nightclubs here are least bothered about police action as they continue to flout the norms. Some bars have even put up on their Facebook pages information about liquor service from 7 pm to 12 midnight.

When The Tribune correspondent, posing as a customer, called one of the prominent nightclubs, an employee, who initially did not take the call, later called back and said: “Owing to the murder at Castle’s Barbeque, we will now close the club between 12 midnight and 12.30 am, but earlier we even kept the club open till 2.30 am. We have no problem from the police. Sir, you please do visit!”

The Tribune has the recording of the phone call made by the nightclub employee.

Info on the FB page of one of the bars reads: “Buy One Get One on Liquor 07 PM to 12 Midnight”.

Senior Congress leader and Chairman of Punjab Medium Industry Development Board (PMIDB) Amarjit Tikka has showed his concern about the opening of nightclubs in the industrial hub beyond the permissible hours. Tikka said these nightclubs were even serving liquor and hookah to the youth below the age of 18. Although the permissible time for the nightclubs to remain open is 11.30 pm, most clubs kept open even till 5 am.

Gurdeep Singh Gosha, district president of Youth Akali Dal, said the police remained a mute spectator as politicians are partners in these clubs.

Passports of bar, nightclub owners may be confiscated: CP

Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal told The Tribune that liquor vends couldn’t remain open after 11 pm, and bars, nightclubs, restaurants after 11.30 pm. “If we register an FIR under Section 188, IPC, which is though bailable, the police have a right to confiscate the passport of the erring bar owner. Even imprisonment is possible in the case. We have no mercy for anyone,” he said. Asked about the FB page of one of the bars which claims they serve liquor from 7 pm to 12 midnight, the CP said bars found open after 11.30 pm will face action.

Top cop convenes Meeting of all mall owners 

The Police Commissioner has conveneed a meeting of all city mall owners to discuss the security parameters. The CP said purpose of calling the meeting was to check the extent of security measures adopted by the malls and if the police found any shortcomings in security arrangements, the mall owners had to achieve that security level. The police would not tolerate any lapse in security. A meeting of bar and nightclub owners will also be convened later.