We are talking about the scouting of ACP Dhoble in Mumbai’s pubs and clubs. Over all tone is of disdain for this over smart police officer. He, most of the time, misbehaves with the inmates of such places where he happens to raid. He has put grown up women in juvenile homes and caused unnecessary damage to these places. When asked his only reply is that he is trying to teach moral lessons to the citizens. From the way he carries out his job; it appears that this man is not in sound mental condition. He even though pretends to be a law-enforcing officer; actually, he is doing something that only a fanatic or a lunatic shall do. There are some rules in the law book of police department and on the strength of them; he and many other police officers often misbehave with citizens of this metropolis. At present, I do not want to say anything more on this topic. My suggestions are on very different grounds. When I read about how he happens to be at these pubs or clubs, one thing was common in that, and that is about complaints to the police by the neighbors of these places. These complaints generally referred to the nuisance the visitors cause to the locality. The noise they cause and at times other indecent manners of some of the persons from that place. In addition, it refers to rowdy disposition of some employees of these places. That means, if there is no disturbance to the locality obviously the neighbors shall not complain about these joints and retrospectively no police action.

When police does not receive, any complain they do not bother to take action. This clearly shows that the police action whether rowdy or gentle is due to the complaints neighbors make to the police department. If police do not take action, public criticize and when they take action, once again public target them. In such a situation what the police department can do?

Many say that this pub and club culture is not ours and so whatever they do is not in accordance with the culture of this country and so some moral teaching and a disciplinary action against them justified. I disagree with this. We have imported many things and this nightlife is one of them. We did have nightlife since time; the only difference is that that nightlife treated as very private and in close doors. Today things are very open and almost anybody can go to these places; Giving chance to antisocial elements a freehand with less cautious youths. The scheme in this rowdy treatment is very obvious. People will not venture in such places and the trend of this foreign culture discouraged. I do not know how this scheme will be successful.

There are other things in it. In city such as Mumbai, there are at least 20% transitional people. This involves both men and women. They do not have any definite place where they may relax after daylong work. In addition to that there are people in this city who do not belong to the typical cultural value of our country and by law they have a right to enjoy there time the way they want by virtue of democratic rules. Considering these points, we have to accept that the type of moral action this police officer takes is not proper. We live in a secular country and no one group can impose their moral values on other people. What is correct for some is not necessarily so for others. That means police should not be so harsh on these outsiders. Since the complaint is for the nuisance that they should look into but any further definitely not justified.

My suggestion to this problem is very simple and the responsibility for that rests on the MMNP (Mumbai Maha Nagar Palika). If they do not give license to these pubs and clubs in residential areas this will not occur as the nuisance they create will be away from any residential locality. We have in our city, localities earmarked for specific activities. We have residential areas, commercial areas, industrial areas similarly we should have recreation areas earmarked and these places will not be near any residential locality. If this arrangement accepted, these pubs and clubs can continue their business without any disturbance to people. This will also help police in keeping watch on antisocial elements more easily. We have office or commercial areas such as fort, Bandra-Kurla Complex, there during the day business activity shall do and after the day, in the same area pubs and clubs can work with no nuisance to the residential areas. At present, we see that these pubs and clubs are in residential areas and that is the problem. I request the MMNP to consider this suggestion, as we cannot stop people from enjoying their time. Most are adults who go there and so police have no right to teach any body any thing. They should concentrate on only law and order responsibility.

ACP Dhoble and RR Patil should keep their culture to themselves and allow others to have theirs. I also have one more suggestion to Maharashtra government that they must arrange for regular mental checkup of their officers to ensure that mentally deranged person does not continue in service, particularly in police department, to avoid hardships to simple people in the name of moral teachings or any such stupid activity. The Police Act has many draconic sub-rules and they all need be reviewed to avoid any misuse of them. Our police personnel are not educated enough so that we trust their good sense. All these corrections government should do to improve the working of the Police force.

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