Shooting incidents put Chandigarh night life under a cloud
Mona & Sheetal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 12
A man shot dead in a road rage incident on Friday night at Zirakpur, former SOPU Chief shot outside Emporium Mall in Chandigarh on Sunday night to TikTok star Sourav Gujjar fired on Sunday night. The three back to back incidents tell about the troubled law and order situation in the tricity. That the two out of these three incidents happened outside night clubs – Gujjar was attacked post a tiff on the dance floor of Eskobar, Sector 9, has brought the city night life under the cloud yet again.
It’s not the first time that night clubs have become spot of scuffles. Last year too there was firing near Play Ground, a discotheque in Sector 26 over entry being denied. A police commando was shot dead post a brawl at point blank range outside Walking Street Club and Disc, on August 4, 2019.
Arising firing cases in Ut
- TikTok star Sourav Gujjar shot at outside Eskobar, Sector 9, post a tiff over dancing on Sunday night.
- Ex SOPU chief Gurlal Brar shot dead near Emporium Mall post partying at Playboy and Paara night clubs on Saturday night.
- Denied entry, two youths opened fire at the gate of Play Ground, a discotheque in Sector 26 on November 30, 2019.
- A police commando was shot dead during a brawl outside Walking Street Club and Disc on August 4, 2019.
Do party goers feel safe in the light of these incidents?
Keshav Awasthi, who works at an IT company in Mohali, was out with his friends on the night Gurlal Brar was shot dead in cold blood. “I was with my friends in Sector 17. Through some friends and their Instagram stories, we came to know how someone fired bullets near Playboy Club. It is true that things are worsening in the city with each passing night,” says Awasthi.
“Earlier, we used to think girls are not safe at night in Chandigarh, but with this incident and more like it in the past, it would not be wrong to say that even boys are no longer safe. One bullet can cost us our life which is why, I will abstain from partying at clubs or at the least will avoid places where there’s riskier crowd,” he added.
“Ladies night has become a big no in Chandigarh for a year now, at least for me,” says Nikita Mehta, a 25-year-old Panjab University pass-out. “Night life was much safer in my initial years in college. Brawls and firing incidents make regular headlines in papers. So, it has become tougher to convince parents,” she added.
Playground, Social and Molecule, are her favourites in terms of crowd and ambience, but now frequenting these has become an elusive dream, because of Covid-19 and also because of the latest incidents. After a hard day at work, 26-year-old Raghav Jaiswal, businessman, who runs an office in Industrial Area, Chandigarh, finds partying to be the best way to relax and catch up with his friends at night.
“I am aware of what happened over the weekend, but honestly one can easily figure out this was the result of personal vendetta. Had the assailant got a chance to kill him in daytime, he would have done it then too. No one else got hurt but the target,” says Jaiswal.
Having said that, he doesn’t deny that it would definitely affect the way nightlife is seen in Chandigarh. “What is concerning is not nightlife, but the raging gun violence. What is the route to ensure safety? And how many roads would have to be dodged to finally realise that changing our route won’t shorten the distance towards safer tomorrow be it day or night?” he added.
Vipul Dua, owner Peddlers, puts forth, “As an owner of a pub, I and others alike, all believe in ensuring the safety of their patrons. At the same time, despite bouncers, police doing their duty, still there would be incidents that are not avoidable. It is the collective responsibility of owners and partygoers alike. The onus also falls on the way we conduct ourselves individually. Most of the times the crowd behaves responsibly, but there are good and bad people everywhere. I have always tried to make sure to provide a safe environment at our place.”
