Tejas Navale

Pune: Late last night, a short video clip showing individuals consuming drugs in the washroom of a pub on Fergusson College Road went viral on social media. This incident prompted a swift and strict response from the Pune police administration. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar immediately ordered the suspension of Senior Police Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant, Crime Branch Police Inspector Anil Mane, and Assistant Inspector Dinesh Patil of Shivajinagar Police Station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police of Circle-1, Sandeep Singh Gill, took action against the officers for dereliction of duty during their night shift patrol. The incident revealed that several bars in Pune remained open late into the night, defying regulations set by the police and excise departments. In response, the police registered cases against the pub owners and arrested them.

The issue of late-night operations of bars and pubs came to prominence following the Kalyaninagar Porsche car accident on May 19, where the accused driver was found to be intoxicated. This incident led Kasba Peth MLA Ravindra Dhangekar to adopt an aggressive stance against pub owners. He accused excise department officials of accepting bribes.

Subsequently, the Pune police, the State Excise Department, and the Pune Municipal Corporation started taking action against various bars and pubs that were operating beyond legal hours. Investigations revealed that some bars and restaurants were functioning without the necessary licenses. The recent viral video intensified the scrutiny, leading to stringent measures by the Pune police.

The video showed the Liquid Leisure Lounge pub and bar on Fergusson College Road open until the early morning hours, with patrons consuming drugs on the premises. In response, the police detained five individuals connected to the pub, including the pub owner, driver, and manager. The pub was subsequently sealed by the authorities. Those detained were identified as Santosh Kamthe, Ravi Maheshwari, Manas Malik, Yogendra Girafe, and Utkarsh Deshmane.

The police have registered cases against these individuals, and they were arrested late last night.