Mangaluru: “The police have every right to stop an event at any time if the organisers did not fulfil the legal requirements”, Police Commissioner S. Murugan said, while commenting on the abrupt cancellation of a party in the city.
Speaking to media, Murugan said, “The Sub Inspector of Mangaluru North Police had granted permission for the use of sound systems for a party in the hotel on Saturday. It had been sought on the grounds that they were holding a musical evening and therefore the sub-inspector had granted permission,” he said.
“Party organisers had not obtained CL4 and CL7 licences required under the Excise Act for providing liquor and hence the permission was cancelled on Friday. As they had failed to fulfil legal requirements, we have every liberty to stop the event. The police had been to the hotel on Saturday, as the organisers had decided to continue the event, despite the refusal of permission.”, he added.
Murugan denied the presence of Bajrang Dal activists along with police at the hotel on Saturday, and also of reports that women attending had been shooed away by the police.
“Nothing of this sort has happened. Those who had come went away on their own (after hearing of the cancellation),” he said.
Police Commissioner S. Murugan has initiated an inquiry on how the police gave permission to conduct a party at the hotel. Reportedly, earlier Bajrang Dal activists had lodged a complaint against the event.
