Pune Residents Face Harassment Over Footpath Encroachment by Baner Bar
Residents of Baner in Pune have raised serious allegations of widespread footpath encroachment and harassment by staff from local restaurants and bars, primarily over the issue of patron parking. The situation escalated dramatically on a recent Saturday evening when an IT professional, Manoj Dharap, was reportedly verbally harassed and threatened by employees at The Gulmohar Bar & Curry House on Baner Road.
Confrontation Over Illegal Parking
Dharap described a harrowing incident where he narrowly avoided being hit by a bus while walking toward his two-wheeler. Attempting to step onto the footpath for safety, he found it blocked by parked cars. With double-parking also congesting the road, pedestrians were forced to walk in the middle of traffic, creating a dangerous environment. When Dharap began photographing the illegally parked vehicles, bouncers from the establishment confronted him, asserting that he was not permitted to take photos.
He further alleged that while the bouncers used aggressive language, a manager intervened only to threaten him with a counter-complaint for recording the scene. "One of them followed me to my vehicle, saying, ‘Do whatever you want, we will see you.' It was only when I started recording a video that they became slightly more polite," Dharap recounted. He expressed deep frustration, noting that between ongoing Metro construction and bars using footpaths as private parking, residents have no safe space left.
Community Response and Police Involvement
Local resident Sarang Wable emphasized that this was not an isolated case. "There have been five or six such incidents recently, but many residents are too intimidated by the threat of legal battles to approach the police," Wable stated. In response, a group of residents plans to gather at the Baner Police Station this Friday at 8 PM to register a formal complaint, showing solidarity with Dharap.
An official from the Baner Police Station's traffic department confirmed awareness of the issue. "We have spoken to the victim and requested him to register a formal complaint. Baner Road is a strict ‘No Parking' zone. We have been taking consistent action against those parking on footpaths and have instructed hotels not to use public walkways for customer vehicles," the official said.
Bar Management's Defense and Actions
The senior management of The Gulmohar Bar & Curry House provided a statement to the media, explaining that they have leased a nearby private plot for parking. However, an official admitted that some cars are occasionally parked outside temporarily due to a five-minute turnaround time for valet services.
In a follow-up statement, the management cited ongoing Metro construction as a factor, claiming it has left the adjoining footpath "dug up and largely unusable," leading various commuters to park there. "The stretch is not owned, controlled, or designated by Gulmohar as an official parking area," the statement read.
Regarding the confrontation, the management clarified: "Our manager's intention was only to convey that guests might feel uncomfortable having their vehicles photographed. The interaction unfortunately escalated and may have been perceived wrongly. We do not deploy bouncers to mistreat the public. To ensure such situations do not recur, we have completely discontinued the use of that stretch for any parking and arranged an alternate private plot."
This incident highlights broader concerns about public safety and urban encroachment in rapidly developing areas like Baner, where residents are increasingly vocal about their rights to safe pedestrian pathways.
