Pune Municipal Corporation acts against rooftop restaurants operating without permissions

Pic/PTI

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Wednesday demolished as many as 54 restaurants including some rooftop eateries operating without permissions, an official said, reported news agency PTI.

The action was taken in, among other areas, Kalyani Nagar where residents have been flagging the issue of bars and pubs operating without valid permissions and till early morning hours in the wake of a car crash involving a drunk teenager on Sunday. The accident claimed two lives, reported PTI.

Besides Kalyani Nagar, action was also taken in Mundhwa, Koregaon Park, Ghorpadi and Viman Nagar, among others.

"We demolished various pubs and restaurants....The operation was carried out at the restaurants which had installed sheds without taking any permission from the municipal corporation. The drive was conducted at 54 hotels of which three are well established and famous...44 of them were small joints," the Pune Municipal Corporation official added, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra excise department has sealed two restaurants, where a 17-year-old boy involved in a fatal car crash was allegedly served liquor, on orders of the Pune district collectorate, the local administration said, reported PTI.

The car, a Porsche, allegedly driven by the 17-year-old, who the police claim was drunk at the time, fatally knocked down two motorbike-borne software engineers at Kalyani Nagar in Pune city in the early hours of Sunday.

On the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, the accused juvenile along with his friends went to the two establishments between 9.30 pm and 1 am and allegedly consumed liquor, according to police, reported PTI.

The two outlets, Cosie restaurant and Hotel Blak Club, were sealed on Tuesday following orders of the district collectorate, reported PTI.

While Cosie is located in Koregaon Park, an area adjacent to Kalyani Nagar, the Blak Club is in Mundhwa, reported PTI.

"The Cosie restaurant and Blak Club in Marriot Suite have been sealed with immediate effect by the state excise department following orders from district collector Suhas Diwase," said a statement from the district administration, reported PTI.

A special inspection drive has been started by the excise department to ensure pubs and license holding restaurants do not serve liquor to underage patrons and operate beyond the 1.30 am deadline, said the statement.

If any violations are found, cases would be registered against such establishments and their licences will be cancelled, it added.

(With inputs from PTI)