Customers purchase alcoholic drinks at a roadside liquor store. File Photo
The number of public drinking cases in the Capital doubled this year with more than 45,000 cases reported, sources said. Last year, 22,185 cases were registered in the city, they said.
Senior officers said that out of 45,540 cases of public drinking lodged this year, Dwarka district saw the highest with more than 10,000 cases reported.┬а
A senior officer said that accused persons found to be drinking in public areas or those specifically prohibiting drinking are booked under Section 40 A of the Delhi Excise Act, which attracts a fine of тВ╣5,000 and could go up to тВ╣10,000, besides a jail term of up to three months if the person causes nuisance.
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The officer said that regular drives are carried out in areas where people tend to drink in the open.
тАЬPolice takes action when public drinking leads to ruckus. After consuming alcohol, they are likelier to commit crimes and quarrel with their neighbours and family members. In a lot of cases, the person drinks in an open area with a group of people and drives back home, causing road accidents,тАЭ he said, adding that more beat officers are deployed during festivals.
Another officer, requesting anonymity, said that тАЬcar-o-barтАЭ, or consuming alcohol inside cars, outside liquor shops are a common sight and legal action is initiated against the seller. тАЬIntensive patrolling is carried out outside such liquor shops to take stringent action against drunkards causing inconvenience to pedestriansтАж PCR vans are also deployed round-the-clock in areas that fall under dark spots to prevent cases of eve teasing,тАЭ the officer added.
