KOLKATA: 37 men – all in their twenties and thirties and most of them working – were arrested from The Park, the luxury hotel on Park Street, early in the morning on Sunday for allegedly staying well after midnight in violation of the Covid- Celebrated restrictions.
The police claimed that four of them jostled with them, and five others misbehaved and continued to smoke “something with a pungent odor” even after being told to throw them away. These nine were held in police custody for five days, while the remaining 28 were released on bail by the city’s Supreme Court later that afternoon.
A DJ console that was confiscated from the parties
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A DJ console that was confiscated from the parties
The hotel authorities were also marked in the same FIR and summoned with a list of all weekend bookings from the previous month.
“The men were arrested from the second and third floors for partying with loud music that defied government-imposed Covid restrictions. Some of those arrested even pushed and abused police officers who were doing their duty, ”said Murlidhar Sharma, the common CP (crime).
Park authorities later released a statement stating, “We have been in the hospitality industry for over five decades and have been part of the job creation and economic advancement of the state. The safety of guests and employees is our top priority. The bars and restaurants in our hotel are closed according to the Covid-19 protocols. Many of our guests and their friends or families regularly book stays at the hotel as a weekend getaway. We adhere to all rules and regulations and would continue to do so and there is no violation. We cooperate fully with the authorities. ”
According to state government guidelines, restaurants and bars are allowed to be open until 8:00 p.m., while all exercise and outdoor activities, except those related to essential services, are prohibited between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Following a lead, a team of four dozen officers from the Criminal Investigation Department’s anti-rowdy division along with three IPS officers searched the hotel around 1:15 a.m. and allegedly found a large group of men and women drinking to loud music and dancing in it Hotel lobbies. Police arrested 37 men but released the women and those chatting in the rooms. Two luxury cars, including a Mercedes Benz, 38 cell phones, two DJ consoles, water pipes, liquor bottles, a bag of ganja and two guest lists were confiscated.
Those arrested were classified under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection with life-threatening diseases), 188 (disobedience to an order duly issued by a public servant) and 353 (assault or criminal violence to the Deterrence of the public service) covered by the fulfillment of its duty) read with 51 (b) of the Civil Protection Act With the exception of 353, all other sections are depositable.
“The men celebrated in a large group well beyond 8 p.m. in gross violation of the Covid protocols. Irresponsible men like you are liable for the renewed Covid cases in the city, “said prosecutor Sazzad Ali Khan in court.
Defense attorneys blamed hotel authorities for allowing the party to take place on their premises, adding that most of those arrested were invited to a birthday party and the police charged them with a trivial offense. “There is no electronic evidence that they attacked the police, nor is there any evidence that they were using any offensive substances. They didn’t celebrate on the street either, but on the hotel grounds. Then what is the violation? ”Asked Imtiaz Ahmed, one of the dozen of lawyers who represented the defendants.
According to police, they noticed that the defendants allegedly gathered at the hotel last month. “They booked three to four adjoining rooms on the weekend and then threw parties in the hallways. The seizures suggest that hookahs, liquor and even ganja were widely used, ”said one official.
Another detective agency official said they were investigating the role of call centers in an unrelated crime when they learned of the lavish lifestyles of some employees. “We got an indication that some of them were regular guests at these parties together with IT experts,” he said.
With contributions by Udit Prasanna Mukherjee