New SP, new rules: Manipal comes under the scanner

Manipal binded by rules | Photo by Bibhash Dash

Manipal: Manipal, in the past week has seen not less than four ‘raids’ by the Police. Shop owners who didn’t shut down by 11:30 pm, drunken drivers, drivers without proper papers, and even those drinking in front of Open Bar have entered troubled waters.The new Superintendent of Police, Pravin Madhukar Pawar, took charge of Udupi in September this year, is definitely dealing with an iron hand.

“Shops cannot remain open beyond 11:30 pm according to licensing rules; I came for rounds the other day and some shops, bars and restaurants were open even after 12:10 am. In such cases, our policy is simple – there will be zero tolerance. Student nuisance in Manipal will not be tolerated,” said the SP when contacted. “If the shops and restaurants are closed, automatically the students will get inside and there won’t be any law and order problems,” he added.

Shop owners are being booked under the excise act and FIRs are being lodged against them. They will be produced in front of the district Magistrate for further action. More than nine motorcycles and one Maruti Van have been seized.

“The Manipal Police is now asking us for more money now than before for staying open late. I cannot afford to pay that much; as long as the rules are being imposed, I will close on time,” said the owner of a popular discotheque/pub on condition of anonymity.

Even drinking in front of Open bar is now restricted. The police was seen asking people buying liquor from Open Bar to go home and open their drinks and not drink in front of the bar.

The students seem to have been already affected by the new rules.“The other day, my friend and I were going home on his bike, and he didn’t have his papers on him at that time. We saw cops everywhere, and I had to do the job of spotting cops from a far enough distance and he had to manoeuvre his bike through different lanes to reach home without getting caught,” said a student who wished to remain anonymous.

Sub-edited by: Sara Mohammad Siddiqui