Police toughen stance on bar codes to end pub brawls

The city police have asked pub owners to implement guidelines with regard to registration of visitors and verification of employees or face action. Leena Dhankhar reports.

The city police have asked pub owners to implement guidelines with regard to registration of visitors and verification of employees or face action.

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The police have also threatened to take action against pubs and bars which do not stick to midnight deadline for closing.

At a recent meeting of pub and bar owners, Gurgaon police commissioner KK Sindhu called up on the business establishments to install CCTV cameras in their premises.

When the police officer said pub owners should switch off lights after the deadline, the latter retorted, saying such actions triggered brawls at a Sahara Mall pub as visitors got panicked.

RN Rathi, the director of the pub 7degree Brew House at South Point Mall, said, "We had installed CCTV cameras before we started our operations and we don't entertain rowdy crowds.

The points were discussed in our favour and the problems which we faced due to mall management got solved in the meeting."

In March, Maheshwar Dayal, DCP (East & South), directed pub owners to hire only verified bouncers from registered placement agencies.

The bouncers should carry their valid ID cards and sport name plates on their T-shirts.

However, many pubs did not comply with the order. Dayal said, "If we find anyone violating the rules, we will take strict action against them. No one can extend the deadline."

The pub owners lamented that police teams often raid their premises and harass customers in the guise of implementing the deadline norm.