Indiranagar pub row: Karnataka high court slams Bengaluru police for 'generic report'
The Karnataka high court had directed Bengaluru City Police to submit a status report on the noise level at pubs and liquor stores in Indiranagar. The court bench observed that the report submitted by the police was a general statement and lacked details.
FollowBengaluru: Karnataka high court (HC) may summon the city police commissioner to seek proper explanation regarding the Indiranagar pub row issue report. The HC termed the status report submitted by the city police on the noise levels in Indiranagar pubs as “nothing but an eyewash,” reports said.
According to the oral observation made by a Division Bench, comprising Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice HT Narendra Prasad, the status report submitted by the city police on the noise levels in over 100 pubs and liquor joints in Indiranagar was a general statement, reports said. The report did not contain any details on the precise actions taken by the police to measure the noise caused by playing music and other activities in these liquor joints. The Bench also insisted on knowing whether any police officer conducted surprise checks at these outlets to check the noise levels.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) counsel informed the HC that the city police do not have any equipment to measure noise levels. The Bench then asked the government counsel if the police had contacted them seeking help to check the noise levels at least after the last hearing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the residents in the area.
The police claimed to have booked cases for causing nuisance. The Bench asked how the police could have booked cases without having any equipment to measure noise level. It is also seeking an explanation, regarding how the police will handle a complaint raised late in the night, as KSPCB officials will not be available for assistance.
The Bench said that it will have to summon the city police commissioner after seeing the status report submitted by the police. After the government counsel assured that the city police will submit a detailed report, the Bench said that it needs to see specific details on procurement of equipment to measure noise levels.
The Defence Colony Residents Association and other welfare associations had filed PILs towards the noise level issue. After hearing the petitions filed, the Bench on June 6 had directed the city police to submit a status report on the actions taken against the complaints.
