Delhi: Bar owner, 9 others held for assaulting 8 cops during raid

Ujwal Jalali
New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) As many as eight policemen were injured during a raid at a bar in Hauz Khas village when the said bar's owner and nine of his employees allegedly attacked them with rods, sticks and pipes, officials said Monday.

Following the incident, the police has arrested 10 people, including the bar owner under sections 186 (Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 34 (Common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The incident took place on the intervening night of July 20-21 at DownTown Club, located at the Hauz Khas village in south Delhi.

According to the FIR, accessed by IANS, the Special Staff of southwest district police had received an input regarding illegal discotheques and tobacco hookah bars being run in the Hauz Khas village area with loud music. "The information was shared with senior officers who directed to constitute a team and conduct a raid at the said bars," the FIR lodged by a Sub-Inspector of the Special Staff of southwest district police read.

Subsequently, the police conducted a raid at a building in the Hauz Khas village where three bars were running on three floors of it. "When we entered the downtown bar, there was a gathering of 20-30 people who were consuming liquor and smoking tobacco hookah and dancing to loud music," the complaint read, adding that the police officials then introduced themselves to the owner of the establishment and asked for relevant licences.

The officials alleged that the said man instead of showing the licences as demanded, started shouting at the cops and also abused them.

As the policemen tried to further persuade the owner, he and his nine staffers started pushing them out of the bar. "When the police team again tried to persuade them...., nine people assaulted us with their hands, threw tables, chairs and bottles on us and some of them hit us with rods, sticks and steel pipes," the FIR read.

A senior Delhi police officer told IANS that all the offenders were later arrested by the police. "The said place where the assault took place has been shut now and we have seized their licenses. A probe is still underway," the senior police official said.

Notably, the Hauz Khas village is famous for its nightlife as it houses a large number of budget bars and pubs.