SC order on crackers violated

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 8

Not only the SC order limiting the duration for bursting firecrackers was ignored last night but also the crackers were sold clandestinely in the city.

As the Diwali night was approaching, vendors without any licence started selling crackers blatantly. Hardly, 200 m away from the Maqsudan chowk check-post where police personnel were on patrolling duty, a few local residents were seen selling crackers in streets and on the main road.

Residents said the vendors started selling crackers from the morning. However, one of the vendors said to finish his stock of crackers of the previous year, he had put up a counter on the road. Old cracker stock was also sold in the Jyoti Chowk area.

Even after showing pictures of people selling crackers, no action was taken by the police. Only four persons were arrested for selling crackers illegally and nine FIRs were lodged against unknown offenders for bursting firecrackers in violation of the two-hour time frame imposed by the Supreme Court.

Crackers seized

While three offenders were arrested by the patrolling team at the Division 4 police station and a person was nabbed by the team of the Division 6 police station, most of the station house in-charges at other police divisions said only one or two FIRs were registered against people who violated the court’s guideline. Lakhwinder Singh, SHO at Division 4 police station, said three sacks of crackers were also seized during the search operation.

Those residents who followed the orders of the apex court said police could have put in place a strict mechanism to nab violators. Even at 11 pm, people were bursting crackers, said Maneesh, a local resident.