In a major shift after its team was attacked during a Valentine’s Day raid, the Excise Department has declared that every bar and pub in the state capital will now come under the scanner. The department has also warned that the “dadagiri” of bouncers will no longer be tolerated.
Speaking to the media, Excise Superintendent Debashish Patel said the department is moving into full action mode. “We will conduct regular raids on all bars, especially those operating beyond permitted hours. The days of running bars till dawn with loud DJs and unchecked crowds are over,” he said.
The trigger for the fresh crackdown was the ugly incident at OD 02 bar in Kharavel Nagar on the night of February 14. Acting on a tip-off, the excise squad reached the spot around 2 am and found nearly 100 people inside the shuttered-down bar. When officers and police forced entry, a group of youths and bar staff, allegedly backed by bouncers, turned violent. Officers were abused and manhandled. An FIR was registered and bar manager Avinash Sahu was arrested. The case is still under investigation.
Patel made it clear that the department will now take strict action against all “faulty bars”. He also revealed that bouncers are increasingly becoming a law-and-order problem. “We have decided that only licensed, PSERA-recognised security guards will be allowed in bars. Unauthorised bouncers with criminal backgrounds will not be tolerated,” he said.
The Excise and Police departments will now conduct joint raids across the city. Police had already issued guidelines earlier directing bars to replace bouncers with verified security personnel.
The message from the excise department is loud and clear: the capital’s nightlife is about to face its strictest-ever regulation.
