Pune Police Raid Elrow And Unicorn House Pubs For Late-Night Operations, Sound System, Hookah etc Worth Rs 25 Lakh Seized

Reported by Sumit Singh & Mubarak Ansari

Kalyani Nagar, 9th April 2024: Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has taken decisive action against the unauthorized operation of pubs, bars, rooftop hotels, and restaurants in Pune. Effective immediately, establishments are mandated to close by 1.30 am.

The Crime Branch police have intensified their efforts to curb violations of this order, particularly targeting venues operating without proper licensing and extending their hours into the early morning.

In a recent operation led by the Social Security Cell of the Crime Branch, valuables worth several lakhs have been seized, including sound systems, tobacco hookah flavor, and hookah pots.

Two separate cases have been registered at the Yerawada police station in connection with these violations. Sandeep Harshvardhan Sahastrabuddhe of Shivajinagar, Aman Ida Sheikh of Lohgaon, Rashmi Sandesh Kumar of Aundh, and Sumit Chaudhary of Lohgaon have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2018. The cases were filed based on a complaint lodged by Police Naik Amey Anil Rasal.

One of the targeted establishments, the rooftop hotel and pub named Elro located in Cerebrum IT Park, Kalyani Nagar, was found operating beyond the permissible hours on April 8. Police raided the premises after noticing the unauthorized activity and discovered that loud music was being played in violation of regulations, causing disturbance to nearby residents. Valuables worth Rs 17 lakhs, including sound equipment and tobacco products, were confiscated during the raid.

Similarly, another pub named Unicorn House, also located on the eighth floor of Cerebrum IT Park in Kalyani Nagar, was found operating unlawfully during the early hours of the morning. This establishment, too, was in violation of operating hours and noise regulations, prompting police intervention. Valuables worth Rs 7.91 lakhs were seized from this venue. Another FIR has been registered against the above accused as well as Prafulla Balasaheb Gore of Yerawada, in this regard.

Assistant Police Inspectors Aniket Pote and Rajesh Malegave are conducting the investigation into these incidents, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Crime Branch Amol Zende and Assistant Commissioners Satish Govekar and Sunil Tambe, along with Senior Inspector Bharat Jadhav.