Denied beer, bar dancers create ruckus in UP town

Six booked for attacking staff at a quarantine centre in Moradabad

Two bar dancers from Mira Road and four of their associates have been booked by the UP police for creating a scene at a quarantine centre in Moradabad after being denied access to beer and gutkha. The duo, Rakhi alias Kanchan and Sangeeta, allegedly threatened to strip and throw their children out of the window if their demands were not met, the UP police said.

An officer of UP police told Mirror on phone on Thursday that the employees at the quarantine centre have complained about the behaviour of the accused several times. On Wednesday when an employee of the quarantine centre was distributing milk to children, the accused snatched it from them,the officer said. Different teams of police counselled them, but there is no improvement in their behaviour, he said.

“After being denied alcohol, they danced on the corridors of the quarantine centre building and mocked us and the on-duty medical staff,” said a police officer deputed at the centre. They are creating troubles for the quarantine centre staff because they want to go home. It’s not possible to send them home before the mandatory quarantine period is over, the officer said.

According to sources, around halfa-dozen police personnel have been deployed at the quarantine centre to keep them under control.

Explaining the unruly behaviour of the bar dancers, a police officer said, “A few days ago, when dinner was being served at the centre, two women suddenly started asking for beer and gutakha. One of them dangled her three-year-old child from the window, and threatened to throw her out. The duty staff immediately informed the in-charge of the quarantine centre.”

The police duty staff tried to counsel them several times, but they did not mend their ways, and continued to misbehave with the centre’s staff, including the police.

The officer said that two days ago, 25 packets of gutkha were seized from them.

When asked what action would be taken against the accused, the police said that they would be arrested once the quarantine period is over.

Sources said that a group of 79 people reached Moradabad from Mira Road by road in the third week of May.

They were all screened and allowed to go home after receiving the ‘home quarantine’ stamp. Later, five of them developed corona symptoms and after tests they were found to be positive.

On May 19, the remaining 72 people – 40 women, 20 men and 12 children – were sent to the quarantine centre.

According to Amit Pathak, senior, superintendent of Moradabad police, an FIR has been registered against them. They have been booked under IPC’s sections 147 (rioting), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 504 (intentional insults), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life).