Over 100 detained for protesting against liquor shop in Gurugram

Residents of Khandsa, Mohammadpur Jharsa and other areas from Sector 37 erected a tent in front of the shop and started a round-the-clock protest from June 10, alleging that inebriated men who reach the spot to purchase alcohol create nuisance for local residents

A day after the alleged assault of police and excise officers, about 100 men and women were detained on Sunday for protesting against the opening of a liquor shop on National Highway (NH-48) near Hero Honda Chowk, Gurugram police said.

Residents gather outside the liquor shop on NH-48 on Sunday. (Parveen Kumar/ HT)

Police said they later arrested 15 protesters who were involved in assaulting the government officials on Saturday and preventive action was taken against at least 25-30 persons who were leading the protest.

Police said the liquor shop was to start operation from June 12, after a fresh tender was floated for the current financial year.

However, residents of Khandsa, Mohammadpur Jharsa and other areas from Sector 37 erected a tent in front of the shop and started a round-the-clock protest from June 10, alleging that inebriated men who reach the spot to purchase alcohol create nuisance for local residents.

The residents had alleged that such people were a threat to women and children as they urinated in front of their houses, passed lewd comments and caused traffic jams on the service road as many of them came in their vehicles to purchase liquor.

Investigators said that a team of police and excise department officials had reached the spot to remove the protesters on Saturday, but they assaulted the team.

At about 1.30pm on Sunday, at least three buses of Haryana Police were brought to the spot in which the protesters were taken away to Sector 37 police station amid heavy deployment of police personnel, they said. Within hours of their removal, the liquor shop was opened amid police security.

Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Khandsa, alleged that the liquor shop is located near the pick-and-drop point of school students.“Drunk men pass lewd comments on women who visit the spot to drop or pick their children. Besides, the men in inebriated state urinate in front of local residents,” he said.

Sunny Sharma, another resident, alleged that three months back, a local resident was assaulted when he scolded a few men who were urinating in front of his house. “The previous management of the shop used to clandestinely sell liquor even after 11pm due to which people from Delhi used to pour here,” he said.

Sharma also alleged that they had protested earlier too against the location of the shop, but the previous owners reached their village and requested to allow its operation on grounds of huge financial loss. He said they had met the Gurugram police commissioner and deputy commissioner and they assured action.

Surender Singh, assistant commissioner of police (Manesar), alleged that the 15 people who were arrested on Sunday were among the 24 suspects booked in the FIR registered on Saturday for assaulting police and excise officers. “We have also taken preventive actions against at least 25-30 persons involved in the protest,” he said.

ACP Singh said the shop was opened by its new management after the protest site was cleared. “The protesters had raised several kinds of issues, including safety of women and children and traffic blockade. We are looking into their concerns,” he added.

Hari Krishan Choudhary, the general manager of G-Town Wines, which got the tender to run the shop for a year, said the protest was the fallout of business rivalry.

“A local resident had won the tender last year, but this year my company’s bid was higher. He instigated people to protest within hours after our firm took over the shop from him. The sales at this shop are very high as it is located on the National Highway,” Choudhary said.