Police book three under new rule against touts

Three men arrested by the Delhi Police became the first to be booked under the new Delhi Prevention of Touting and Malpractice Against Touting Ordinance, 2010.

Three men arrested by the Delhi Police became the first to be booked under the new Delhi Prevention of Touting and Malpractice Against Touting Ordinance, 2010.

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Under the new ordinance, any person who dupes, overcharges or tries to con others — mainly touts at airports, bus terminals, taxi stands, registering authorities, courts and tourist spots — face immediate arrest. The offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined R10,000. According to the new rule, repeat offenders cannot enter Delhi for one year. The three touts, Manish Kumar, Sunil Kumar Srivastava and Shaan Mohammed, were caught from the Kotwali region in Chandni Chowk.

“Kotwali police station received information that touts were duping tourists visiting Red Fort and Chandni Chowk area. Keeping in view of these inputs, a special operation was conducted in the area,” said Sagarpreet Hooda, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).

According to Hooda, Kumar was caught while he was trying to dupe tourists near the Red Fort. Kumar was reportedly trying to misguide them to travel by vehicles of a travel agency.

The DCP said Mohammed, too, was arrested for similar reason. Srivastava, Hood said, was caught while trying to lure tourists from Kailash Bhandar Chowk, near the clock tower.

The police said crackdown against touts would continue and more police were deployed in several tourist areas.