MYSURU: The
gang-rape of a woman on the outskirts of the city by a group of drunk men on Thursday at Lingambudhipalya has alerted Mysuru city police, albeit belatedly, to the menace of consumption of alcohol in public places.
At a time when the city is still reeling under shock in the aftermath of the chain snatching, city police commissioner KT Balakrishna said that they would initiate a drive to clamp down on those drinking in public, which is a violation of the law.
“We have stepped up patrolling along the peripheral areas of the city to curb these illegal activities,” said Balakrishna.
Areas along the Outer Ring Road, and
open spaces such as
parks in these localities, have become dens for these illegal activities. Miscreants, mostly youngsters, are often spotted drinking alcohol in such spaces after dusk. In fact, there have been reports of people parking their cars in isolated locations and drinking on roads. City cops are keen to crack down on these miscreants to make the city, and its outskirts a safer place for all.
Miscreants are opting to drink in public spaces to avoid paying restaurants. Besides being a nuisance at parks and other such places, miscreants can be spotted drinking near retail liquor outlets and troubling commuters and pedestrians.
The broken and used bottles that one finds dumped along ORR, and other peripheral localities is a marker to the extent of the menace. In December 2018, cops initiated a drive to stop people turning roads and common public spaces into liquor dens. Police attached to Saraswathipuram had led the campaign, and those found causing a disturbance to public had been booked.
City police, meanwhile, imposed strict curbs on drinking atop ChamundiHills and vehicular entry after dusk was restricted. Regular drives were conducted to verify documents and motorists were subjected to alcohol tests, which helped bring down illegal activities to a large extent in Mysuru.
As Mysuru comes to terms with the horror of the gang-rape in Lingambudhipalya, the horrific incident will serve as a reminder for the cops to intensify these campaigns and drives to prevent such an episode from recurring.