Pubs in Gurgaon malls to shut by midnight

With the Gurgaon police setting a midnight deadline for pubs and discotheques inside malls, party goers may be in for disappointment.

With the Gurgaon police setting a midnight deadline for pubs and discotheques inside malls, party goers may be in for disappointment.

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The move comes after mall authorities reportedly complained of nuisance by tipplers during wee hours. Families out for dinner and movie also felt uncomfortable with frequent brawls and clashes between groups.

Eating joints with a special licence to operate up to 2 a.m. have, however, been exempted from the crackdown.

According to the Haryana Excise and Taxation Policy 2010-11, all restaurants, bars and discotheques, including those situated in malls, can serve liquor till midnight and those wanting to extend timings by two more hours have to deposit a separate licence fee. Bars at four and five-star hotels, meanwhile, can operate round-the-clock.

Recently, most of the bars were caught serving liquor up to 4 a.m. during raids at various malls on MG Road on the weekend.

The Excise and Taxation department has issued liquor serving licences to around 150 joints in Gurgaon. Of these, 35 outlets, including pubs and discotheques, are located in nine malls on MG Road alone.

"Many families complained that some people get drunk and create a scene inside the mall premises. It was becoming unsafe for them to visit the mall during late hours. Such unruly scenes have been reported from around four malls frequently," said Vikas Arora, DCP(East). "Most complaints come from discos as youngsters get drunk and start fighting," he added.