Wary cops book pub owner after Nagpur municipal corporation’s Rs 30,000 fine

NAGPUR: Imambada police were not keen to register offences of violating Covid restrictions against owners of Agent Jack’s bar-pub at Trillium Mall on Saturday, until senior police officers intervened. The police had been avoiding registering offences, even after NMC’s Dhantoli zone Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) slapped Rs30,000 fine on the pub management for violation of Covid restrictions.
A video of the place showed the premises teeming with customers, including many without masks, and also not maintaining social distancing. NMC team too has confirmed the violations in their findings.
Even though the state government has invoked the Epidemic diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act, and CP Amitesh Kumar has enforced section 144 CrPC, Imambada police were unsure about registering offence, citing NMC action as sufficient.
CP Amitesh Kumar said the police were in two minds as registering offence against the pub owner after NMC action would tantamount to ‘double jeopardy’ (taking action twice for same offence). “I have instructed zonal DCP to follow up the action now with sealing procedures,” he said.
A case was registered at Imambada police station at 10.50pm against pub owner Pawan Nirban for violation of Covid norms. Earlier in the evening, NMC and Imambada police had jointly raided the place at 9.20p, but cops waited to initiate action until senior officials prompted them.
Legal expert Shreerang Bhandarkar said NMC’s penalty is for breach of Covid norms and SOPs, which NMC has implemented for such places (pubs and others). This action by the local civic authority can be categorized as ‘civil liability’. “Police action is the enforcement of criminal liability, which is different from civil liability. There is no question of double jeopardy,” said Bhandarkar.
In the past, Zonal DCP Vinita, during joint raids with NDS teams, had ensured premises were sealed and offences were registered against a number of pub owners, eateries, hotels, hookah parlours and such outlets in West Nagpur for Covid violations. Even Zonal DCP Neelotpal had raided Pankaj Kadiwala’s shop at Jaripatka, registered offences and also ensured the premises were sealed by NDS in simultaneous action for violation of Covid restrictions.