Less than a month after some goons held a raucous birthday party past midnight at Chhatrapati Shivaji Chowk in Pune’s Kasarwadi, the group of youths held another birthday party and kicked up a ruckus in the same area on Thursday evening. Local residents said that despite a ban on celebrating parties on roads and chowks in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the goons have continued to disturb peace, besides harassing girls and women.
On Thursday evening, a local resident called up the police control room and informed them of the incident, but by the time the police personnel arrived, they left. Avinash Prasad, a local resident, said, “I saw some policemen arriving at the spot. However, the revellers ran away. I am not sure if they were caught.”
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When contacted, senior police inspector Bhaskar Jadhav of Bhosari police station told The Indian Express that he “will have to confirm with my officials whether anyone was caught.”
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PremiumPolice commissioner Ankush Shinde said, “If such a party was held again, I will take action. Those who created the ruckus on Thursday will be caught and action will be taken.” About last month’s “obscene” party, Jadhav said, “After a video of the party went viral, we caught some youths and two girls. They were celebrating birthday parties outside the school in the chowk. The girls had come from Chakan.”
Local residents said the same youths against whom action was taken last month were present for Thursday’s party. “Last month, two girls and some goons held a party outside Vidya Vikas School in the chowk. They indulged in obscene acts. A local resident shot the video. It was then sent to the police and posted on the police group of Pimpri-Chinchwad,” a local resident said.
“The goons present included one with a murder charge against him. The murder had been committed in the same chowk a few years ago. Another youth keeps going to the police lock-up as he frequently indulges in quarrels. Other youths sit outside Vidya Vikas School and harass girls and women passing by,” the resident added.
Avinash Prasad, a local resident, said, “The police rarely do rounds of the area. If they make their presence felt, it will help. The Bhosari police station is located more than a kilometre away from Kasarwadi area. Therefore, the police do not want to take much trouble doing rounds of Kasarwadi area.”
However, senior police inspector Jadhav said they patrolled the area too. “Our police personnel take repeated rounds of Kasarwadi area and this particular chowk. If residents find goons there, they should send us videos and pictures.”
Lahoo Landge, another resident, said the entire chowk has turned into a troubled area. “Police personnel should be permanently posted here as there is a threat to the lives of women and girls passing by. Youths sitting in the chowk pass lewd comments at them. Yet the police continue to be lenient towards these troublemakers.”
Commissioner Shinde, however, promised strong action. “I will take strong action in the matter so that the chowk is free of the troublemakers,” Shinde said.
