Pune police have registered two incidents of violence after its cops were attacked for trying to stop people from bursting firecrackers after the 10 pm deadline, as mandated by Supreme Court.
In one incident, a lone cop was beaten up by a group of people near Zaika Hotel at Pune’s Golf Club Chowk when he asked them to disperse.
Police Naik, R Gaikwad, was returning from work around 10.30 pm when he noticed nearly two dozen people assembled on the footpath and bursting crackers. When the cop asked them why they are doing so despite the deadline having passed, four of them emerged and pushed the policeman around for a while before hitting his face with a weapon, Pune mirror reported.
The accused have been booked under IPC sections 325 (causing grievous hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
In another incident at Mother Teresa Nagar near John Paul Office at Gadital, a crowd of about 150-200 were blatantly breaking noise pollution norms while celebrating at 11 pm. After getting information from the control room, Police constables Kapil Bhakre and Chaure, reached the spot and appealed to them to go home. While many them left, around 7-8 people pelted stones at cops, Sakal Times reported.
On the basis of complaint by constable Bhakre, the accused were booked under sections including 353 (criminal force deterring a public servant from duty), 336 (endangering life and safety), 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 157 (harbouring persons hired for an unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
