In a decisive move, Nagpur police have ordered the immediate closure of the popular Dabo Club & Kitchen on Wardha Road for 45 days. The action comes a day after a violent altercation during a Christmas party escalated, resulting in the death of a 28-year-old man and leaving another critically injured.
A Night of Celebration Turns Deadly
The incident unfolded in the early hours, around 4:15 am, inside the packed venue. According to police reports, the trouble began when patrons started dancing in undesignated areas near dining tables. This not only caused inconvenience to other guests, especially women, but also highlighted the absence of a proper dance floor. The situation quickly spiralled out of control, eventually spilling onto the road outside where the violence turned fatal.
Systemic Failures and Blatant Violations Uncovered
An investigation into the club's operations following the tragedy uncovered a series of glaring violations of a police notification issued on December 22 to regulate pubs and restaurants in Nagpur. Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rishikesh Reddy cited multiple breaches in his shutdown order.
The key safety lapses identified include:
- Inadequate age and identity verification before serving alcohol to patrons.
- Faulty CCTV coverage with critical blind spots, including the area where the initial fight broke out. The club used only one digital video recorder instead of the mandatory two for forensic purposes.
- Severe understaffing of security. The club had deployed only nine bouncers for a crowd exceeding 500 people, with four posted outside. None of these bouncers had undergone mandatory police character verification.
- Poor parking management that caused traffic congestion by allowing haphazard parking in public spaces.
- Failure to display real-time electronic data on occupied and vacant capacity, leading to dangerous overcrowding.
- A critical 23-minute delay by the management in informing the police, which allowed the violence to escalate.
DCP Reddy's order stated that these lapses demonstrated "negligence towards customer safety" and a blatant disregard for law and order. Citing repeated violations and the tragic outcome, police invoked Section 163(2) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
A Checkered Past and Stern Warning
The club, owned by Devyani Vijay Wadettiwar, Karan Vikram Thakkar, and Mohammad Hamza Raine, has a troubled history since its opening in 2022. Police records at the Sonegaon police station show at least eight serious prior incidents, including cases of assault, molestation during a birthday party, vehicle vandalism, threats, and viral videos of public disturbances. Authorities alleged that the owners habitually concealed such incidents, effectively letting the establishment become a "den of crime."
The timing of the shutdown is significant, with New Year's Eve celebrations and ongoing municipal elections likely to draw large crowds. Police stated that since previous warnings and milder measures had failed, the club posed an "immediate threat to public peace." The order warns of even more stringent action, including possible licence cancellation, if the establishment fails to comply with all norms in the future.
