ACP Dhoble’s crackdown likely to gather steam

Despite public outcry over the manner in which Vasant Dhoble, assistant commissioner of police, has been conducting searches and raids on errant nightclubs, lounges and restaurants, the crackdown is likely to gather steam in the coming days.

Despite public outcry over the manner in which Vasant Dhoble, assistant commissioner of police, has been conducting searches and raids on errant nightclubs, lounges and restaurants, the crackdown is likely to gather steam in the coming days.

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Sources said that while senior officers have asked Dhoble to be more sensitive during the checks, the administration has also asked its licencing branch to prepare a comprehensive list of establishments (pubs, discos, nightclubs, lounges, etc.) that have broken conditions under which the licences are issued. All these establishments need police licence to operate. “Once the list is prepared, the errant establishments will be taken care of one by one,” the source said.

Citizens’ groups from localities such as Bandra, Khar and Santacruz, where many such hangouts are located, have also backed Dhoble. “We are not moral minders… but most of these places are operating without the required sanctions. We don’t want them in our neighbourhoods,” said Anandini Thakoor, chairperson of the H-west Federation.