Police invoked section 144 of CrPC to regulate activating in various establishments with a prime motive to underline the outer time limit of 1:30 am to service liquor is sacrosanct and should not be violated at any cost, CP Kumar said.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 authorises the Executive Magistrate of any state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area.

According to police, some owners of such establishments are blatantly violating the mandated rules and regulations and becoming fertile ground for objectionable incidents. Hence to curb and prevent such incidents police decided to implement stringent guidelines by invoking CrPC 144 section from 00:01 am of February 20 to 24:00 hours of March 4, 2024.

Kumar said, “Initially the CrPC 144 section will come into effect for 14 days. During the period, we will take feedback from all the stakeholders. And after considering objections and feedback we will issue further notification accordingly.”

The notification in this regard was issued late on Monday by Pune police with 28 guidelines for a safe and secure environment and to maintain peace across the city. The prominent guidelines include all bars and permit rooms strictly adhere to the closing time limit of 1:30 am. All indoor music performance limits should be sharp at 1:30 am whereas for outdoor music performance limits should be 10:00 pm. The notification has come in the wake of complaints from residents of several areas including Koregaon Park, Kalyaninagar, and Mundhwa over late-night noise by some of these establishments.

Performers, artists, and DJs should get permission from the police for their performance at such establishments. All such establishments should strictly follow norms related to noise pollution.

There is a key provision of mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in all such establishments covering all entry, exits, seating areas, and bar counters. Two sets of DVRs should be maintained for the proper functioning of the CCTV cameras.

In addition to that, stringent background checks for bouncers/security personnel will be enforced, with explicit permission required for any exceptions. All forms of hookah and sheesha have been banned to mitigate health risks and ensure compliance with regulations, said the commissioner.

As far as smoking is concerned in such establishments, it is only allowed in designated places within establishments. Licensing requirements have been reinforced, mandating that all clubs, restaurants, and bars possess a valid FL3 license from the excise department. This stringent measure aims to ensure compliance with regulatory norms and promote accountability within the industry.

Ganesh Shetty, president of Pune Restaurants and Hoteliers Association (PRAHA) welcomed the move and stated that 95 % majority of the hotels and bar owners are already following these norms. The issue is only with the rest of the 5 % that are running hotels and bars from Baner, Balewadi High Street, Koregaon Park, and similar areas.

“We all are following these norms so there is nothing new to us. No one in the city area playing loud music in their bar and hotels beyond prescribed limits.”

However, Shetty objected to point number 3 in the notification. According to this, no orders of food and liquor may be taken after 1:00 am to ensure strict compliance with points 1 and 2 mentioned above.

Shetty said, “Many IT people used to order food after 1 am so it is difficult for them as well as for cloud kitchens in the city.”

According to Shetty, he had not received any order copy. But they are planning to raise objections on such points where there is a need for more clarity during the operation of bars and restaurants.

Previous actions

*In 2023, PMC razed 61 rooftop food joints in a year’s time for unauthorised operations.

*In April 2023, Pune police acted against hotels and pubs in the Koregaon Park and neighbourhood, known for its nightlife, seizing sound equipment worth ₹37 lakh in the last three months for noise pollution

*In 2022, Police cracked down on eateries and pubs across the city for playing loud music beyond the 10pm deadline and registered cases against 16 such party venues on the charge of violating the noise pollution norms.

*These establishments are mostly based in areas such as Mundhwa, Koregaon Park, Kalyaninagar, Bund Garden Road and Kondhwa.