Gurgaon cops raid pub, find school kids drinking

Birthday parties at restro-bars and pubs organised by school children are common these days. And along with it comes access to alcoholic beverages.

Birthday parties at restro-bars and pubs organised by school children are common these days. And along with it comes access to alcoholic
beverages.

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This was discovered by the Gurgaon police on Saturday afternoon when it raided a pub, Prison, at a known mall on MG Road. A party was going on at the pub when the city police conducted a raid on the compliant of schools welfare organisation, Haryana Progressive School Conference (HPSC).

The excise and taxation department has fined the pub for illegally serving liquor to the students below 25 years of age.

Documents seized revealed that 85 students (Class 10-12) from two reputed Gurgaon schools, which are well established across the country, had registered their entries in three groups for a birthday bash.

However, all but three students managed to escape through the ‘service door’ of the pub in the presence of the police team, including armed personnel and the ACP (assistant commissioner of police).

ACP (DLF) Dalbir Singh called the parents all three students to the pub where the trio was detained for questioning. Singh requested the parents to keep a close eye on the activities of their wards.

Parents apologised in front of the police before taking their kids home.

The inebriated students emerged on the scene about two hours after the raid as they had had fallen asleep during the party and could not flee.

The police also found half-empty glasses of alcoholic drinks and empty beer bottles. However, the pub manager, who identified himself as Rakesh Roshan, said that about 85 students in three groups from two schools had booked the pub for birthday parties. The entry ticket of Rs 750 per person included food and non-alcoholic beverages.

“Some students paid separately for liquor such as vodka and beer as it was not included in the entry ticket,” he added.

SB Sharma, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC), said that a challan has been issued against the pub under Section 29 of the excise act (for serving liquor illegally to persons under the age of 25).

“We will send the case to the headquarters where the excise collector would take suitable action and decide on the penalty to be levied. The pub officials would also be given an opportunity of hearing,” Sharma said.