20 booked for assaulting cops in protest against liquor shop in Pataudi

Gurugram: Police on Friday booked at least 20 residents from Bhora Kalan village in Pataudi for protesting against a liquor shop and blocking the Pataudi-Bilaspur Road. As per police, the suspects also assaulted police personnel when they tried to pacify them.

Police said the liquor shop started operation from June 12, after a fresh tender was floated for the current financial year and villagers started their protesting from that day itself.

Earlier on June 17, police detained around 100 villagers for allegedly assaulting police and excise officers for protesting against the opening of a liquor shop on National Highway (NH-48) near the Hero Honda Chowk.

Rahul Dev, station house officer (SHO) of Bilaspur police station, said they received calls from commuters who said that the Pataudi-Bilaspur Road was blocked by the villagers. “A team was sent to the spot and our personnel found that some protesting women were sitting on the road to block traffic. When we tried to intervene, some of them started assaulting our personnel,” he said.

Anoop Singh, a resident of Bhora Kalan village, said they are opposing the liquor outlet as men who come to buy alcohol create ruckus. “The inebriated men are a nuisance and they also abuse local residents. Women do not feel safe crossing the stretch due to their hooliganism,” he said.

Mamta Devi, another villager, said they will not let the liquor shop operate as it will cause nuisance in the area. “Young girls travel for work, college and school and the group of men drinking in the open are a threat for them. They keep quarrelling and abusing and such behaviour leaves a bad impression on our young children,” she said.

Villagers said if the authorities do not shift the liquor shop, they will continue to protest and block the road.

SHO Dev said the shop was opened recently and it has led to unrest in the area. “We have identified the suspects who assaulted the police personnel and they will be arrested soon,” he said.

A case was registered under Section 147 (riots), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function), 283 (obstruction in public way) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Bilaspur police station on Friday, police said.