CCTV cameras made mandatory in Gurgaon pubs, bars

The district magistrate of Gurgaon in Haryana, part of the National Capital Region, issued orders Thursday making it mandatory for pubs and bars to install CCTV cameras.

The cameras have to be installed in the premises of all pubs and bars in the district, especially at entry and exit points, within 15 days, an official said.

The cameras have to be of high quality, and footage must be stored for at least 30 days, the order said. The order has been issued invoking Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Owners and managers of pubs and bars have been instructed to close shop at midnight, and not serve customers beyond that time limit. They have also been told not to serve liquor to those below 25 years of age, and to verify the identity proof of customers to ensure that liquor is not being sold to those below that age limit.

The "No Liquor will be served to the people under 25 years of age" board should also be prominently displayed in pubs and bars, the order said.

Violation of the orders will invite penalty under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience of order promulgated by a public servant).

Orders of this nature are issued at regular intervals, and as such instructions under Section 144 of the CrPC (relating to power to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance of apprehended danger) automatically expire after three months.

Explaining the need for monitoring the activities in pubs and bars, District Magistrate Shekhar Vidyarthi said: "Many young people go to pubs and bars, and under the influence of liquor, tempers run high and brawls may happen. The possibility of crime against women cannot be ruled out. The CCTV cameras will help in checking these crimes."