Pune: Six waiters from the restaurant were detained by the Maharashtra excise department on Monday night, bringing the total number of arrests in relation to an investigation into a widely shared video purportedly from a Pune bar to 14, according to officials.
When the bar was discovered to be open later than allowed, the police had earlier suspended four employees and arrested eight people.
Following a viral video that allegedly showed some people using drugs at Liquid Leisure Lounge, also known as L3, which is located on Fergusson College Road in Pune, Maharashtra, the police opened an investigation.
Santosh Kamthe, Vitthal Kamthe, Yogendra Girase, Ravi Maheshwari, Akshay Kamthe, Dinesh Mankar, Rohan Gaikwad, and Manas Mallick are the eight individuals who were remanded in police custody until June 29 by a court in this city, according to the official.
The prosecution informed the court, citing the widely shared video, that they wanted to look into reports on social media that the accused had given visitors to the hotel narcotic-like substances.
According to the prosecution’s testimony in court, it appears that the accused utilized social media to invite guests to the hotel where they would smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use drugs. The police are interested in learning more about these patrons.
It was stated in court that police wanted to track down the young people and the minor who was in the viral video.
The police claim that the bar was open on Sunday until five in the morning and that alcohol was being sold later than was legally allowed. In Pune, bars and pubs are permitted to stay open until 1:30 a.m.
Later that evening, the state excise department announced that it had arrested six waiters at Liquid Leisure Lounge (L3) and suspended the establishment’s license for allegedly violating liquor stock regulations.
According to the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, they were taken into custody and placed under remand until June 29.
Fourteen people have been arrested in relation to the viral video, according to officials.
Amitesh Kumar, the commissioner of police for Pune, told PTI earlier in the day, “We have arrested eight persons, including owners and employees of the Liquid Leisure Lounge (L3) after it came to light that the establishment was operating beyond the permissible time limit on Sunday.”
According to him, those detained have been charged under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to an order duly issued by a public servant) as well as pertinent laws from the Maharashtra Police Act, the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.
He said that in relation to the case, two beat marshals, an assistant inspector, and an inspector from the Shivajinagar police station who was on night duty have been suspended.
According to a police official, earlier in the afternoon, members of the right-wing group Patit Pavan Sanghatana allegedly broke plant pots that were left outside the establishment, threw stones at the bar, and damaged the bar’s board.
Murlidhar Mohol, a newly appointed Union minister and first-time MP from Pune, stated in a post on X that while the suspension has been implemented immediately, the police commissioner has also been directed to begin a campaign against drugs and assign additional personnel for it.
“Strict action should be taken to search all colleges, bars, hotels, and other suspect locations. According to Mohol, police have been told to investigate the source of drug availability in the city.