Food wastage, fear and weekend revenue losses of up to 50 per cent — these are some of the consequences after police suddenly began enforcing a 10 pm shutdown deadline on restaurants in Camp, Kothrud, Paud Road and Deccan between Friday and Sunday.

Kishore Sarpotdar, president of the Pune Restaurant and Catering Association and a committee member of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), said restaurants typically meet weekly targets over weekends, with most dinner business picking up after 9 pm.

“Many restaurants lost their prime business and incurred huge losses due to prepared food going to waste and income loss because of the sudden action taken by some police stations. There was confusion among restaurants, permit rooms and bars. Everybody comes under pressure when this kind of action is taken by the police department without informing us in advance,” said Sarpotdar.

A member of the Pune Restaurants and Hoteliers Association (PRAHA) recounted that, in one case, a local police team arrived at a packed restaurant in Camp and demanded to speak to the owner.

“After a discussion, they said they would allow the restaurant to remain open till 11 pm that day, but from the next day it had to shut at 10 pm sharp. In the meantime, there was confusion. People wondered whether police were shutting restaurants because some major accident or attack had taken place. Nobody knew the reason behind the sudden action,” the PRAHA spokesperson said.

When asked about eateries being asked to shut down at 10 pm, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “All the hawkers, food stalls, stalls in khau gallis (clusters of small food stalls) have been instructed to follow this timing of 10 pm as the hawking license stipulates this timing. This decision has been taken considering the law and order situation. This direction is also applicable to paan shops and those shops who place chairs and tables on the footpaths and serve food. Other establishments operating from the permanent buildings will be operating as per the stipulated timings and police will not interfere in their operation.”

Owners pointed out that state rules allow restaurants  serving only food to remain open 24 hours, bars to function till 1.30 am and roadside tapris and eateries to operate till 10 pm. PRAHA and NRAI were among the organisations that approached the Commissioner of Police and other authorities over the issue.Owners pointed out that state rules allow restaurants  serving only food to remain open 24 hours, bars to function till 1.30 am and roadside tapris and eateries to operate till 10 pm. PRAHA and NRAI were among the organisations that approached the Commissioner of Police and other authorities over the issue. “Police teams on the ground started shutting down not only roadside food stalls but also restaurants,” stated an NRAI member.

One restaurant owner alleged that the police action was inconsistent. “They shut down food stalls, another restaurant and mine, but allowed two other restaurants nearby to remain open. Eateries serving the same cuisine in the same lane did not receive any police visit,” she said.

Restaurant owners said they were willing to comply with police directives, as they had during the Covid-19 pandemic, “but there should be clarity”.

The prohibitory order was issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Prashant Amrutkar on May 23 for a period of 14 days ahead of the Bakri Eid festival on Tuesday. It prohibits meetings or processions of five or more persons without prior permission from the Pune City Police Commissioner. Section 37(3) of the Maharashtra Police Act states that the authority empowered under sub-section (1) may, by written order, prohibit any assembly or procession whenever and for as long as it considers such prohibition necessary for the preservation of public order, provided that no such prohibition remains in force for more than 15 days without the sanction of the state government.