Dehradun: The Uttarakhand police headquarters on Monday sought detailed reports within 24 hours from senior officers after a controversy erupted over action against a bar in Dehradun that was allegedly operating past the 11pm deadline on Saturday night while an inspector general-rank officer was inside with friends.
The move followed reports claiming the incident at Romeo Lane bar on Rajpur Road had brought two senior police officers into confrontation.
Widely circulated reports on social media claimed that on Saturday night, a police team led by Dehradun SP (City) Pramod Kumar reached Romeo Lane around 12:30am to shut it after receiving information that it was operating beyond the 11pm deadline. According to those reports, the team then found an IG-rank officer inside the bar with friends and was asked to leave without taking action.
The reports further claimed that after leaving the bar, the team informed SSP Dobal, who later reached the spot, but by then the IG-rank officer had already left. Dobal then instructed the bar staff to close the establishment immediately.
“Taking cognisance of the media reports, additional director general of police, law and order, V Murugesan, has asked IG, Garhwal range, Rajeev Sawroop, and Dehradun SSP Pramendra Dobal to submit complete, detailed, and factual reports within 24 hours for appropriate action,” a statement issued by police headquarters on Monday evening said.
The episode drew criticism because Dehradun police had been strictly enforcing the 11pm closure rule for bars and liquor shops following the killing of a retired brigadier last month during a morning walk. He was hit by a stray bullet allegedly fired by a person in a car at another vehicle after a dispute that police linked to a late-night brawl in a bar that had remained open through the night.
This incident has raised questions about the enforcement of regulations and the conduct of senior officers. The reports submitted by the senior officers will be crucial in determining further action. The police headquarters has emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the matter.
