‘Party’ at Lodhi Club in Ludhiana amid lockdown sparks controversy

DC Pradeep Agrawal, president of the club, has sought a report for further action; members have, however, claimed that it was a meeting and they only had lunch inside the club

With seven executive members of the Lodhi Club allegedly getting together inside the club for a party amid lockdown on Sunday, the coveted organisation has landed in a controversy.

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Deputy commissioner (DC) Pradeep Agrawal, who is president of the club, has sought a report to initiate further action. The members have, however, claimed that it was a meeting and they only had lunch inside the club.

The clubs have been closed in the city due to lockdown and the security superviser, who was deputed at the club on Sunday and captured the incident in his mobile phone, has not been ‘approachable’ since Monday as per the club authorities. The members had, however, got the video deleted from his mobile phone and allegedly terminated his services.

The executive members, excluding general secretary Nitin Mahajan and two women members, entered the club with food and they were captured in the CCTV cameras moving out of the club with a beer case.

Mahajan said, “They are looking into the CCTV footage, but there was no CCTV in the party hall. The security superviser deputed at the club on that day is not approachable. It was also said that services of the superviser were terminated after he tried to record the incident in the mobile phone, but no such incident has come to my notice so far.”

“Members concerned have claimed that they went to the club for a meeting, which was called by sports secretary Dr Avinash Jindal for reviewing some projects of the club and they only had lunch, brought by one of the members from his house. In the CCTV footage, members were seen moving out with a beer case, but they said that the beer had expired and they took out the same for destroying it. I will submit my report with DC Agrawal on Wednesday,” said Mahajan, adding that further action has to be taken by the DC.

Agrawal said the general secretary has been asked to record the facts in a report, following which further action would be taken.