We will extend full support to 24x7 nightlife: New police chief

Two days after taking charge, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has said he will extend full support to Mumbai 24x7 nightlife initiative. “The police department

Two days after taking charge, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has said he will extend full support to Mumbai 24x7 nightlife initiative. “The police department will fully support 24×7 nightlife initiative. We will extend all possible help to authorities as per the government’s policy,” Singh said while speaking to HT.

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The Mumbai 24x7 initiative, which started from January 26, allows shopping malls, eateries, commercial complexes in defunct mills and other such gated communities in the city to operate throughout the night.

Former commissioner of police Sanjay Barve has not spoken on the issue openly. Sources said the police department had given its nod to the BMC’s initiative, but only with riders. “If all establishments are allowed to operate 24x7, then more policemen would be required on the streets at night,” said a police officer.

On January 16, tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, with civic chief Praveen Pardeshi and Barve, had announced the Mumbai 24x7 initiative. HT was the first to report that Mumbai Police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation would permit establishments to stay open all night from January 26.

ON RAVI PUJARI

Singh is keen to get gangster Ravi Pujari’s custody. Pujari is in custody of the Karnataka police after being deported from Senegal last week. He has around 90 criminal cases registered against him there. “Singh, who is known to be tough with the underworld, Monday has asked the crime branch chief Santosh Rastogi to start preparing to take custody of the gangster,” said a police officer. Mumbai police has registered 49 criminal cases against Pujari. Out of these, he has been charged under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in 26 cases.

TO GRILL GANGSTER LAKDAWALA TODAY

Source in the Mumbai police commissionerate office said the new police commissioner is likely to interrogate gangster Ejaz Lakdawala on Tuesday. Lakdawala, wanted in 27 cases, was arrested in January. “Singh is known for taking proactive involvement in the investigations of underworld-related cases or investigations of complex cases,” said a senior police officer. Whenever a gangster, don or kingpin of any organised gang or racket is arrested, Singh himself interrogates the accused and give directions to the investigating team. When Singh was the Thane police chief, he had interrogated Iqbal Kaskar, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, after he was arrested in an extortion case.