Over 400 people were arrested for consumption or possession of liquor during New Year celebrations in Ahmedabad, police said on Wednesday. Manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor is banned in Gujarat.
People came out at the Sabarmati riverfront and some prominent lakes in the city in large numbers around midnight to welcome 2020, a police official said, adding that no untoward incident was reported from any area. However, several people were caught drinking or possessing liquor in Sardarnagar, Bapunagar and Meghaninagar.
“As many as 368 people were arrested for consumption of liquor, while 41 others were held for possessing liquor on Tuesday night,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Control) Vijay Patel said. He said, “No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city and the celebrations went off peacefully.” Hundreds of revellers thronged the Sabarmati riverfront, Vastrapur and Kankaria lakes, and there was a huge rush at hotels and restaurants as people came out on Tuesday night to usher in the New Year.
Many residents who stayed at home organised dance parties in their housing societies. Residents of Bopal and satellite localities celebrated the New Year with dazzling fireworks.
The police kept an eye on celebrations in various parts of the city with the help of 1,000 CCTVs and quick response teams. Women police personnel in plainclothes mingled with the crowds to prevent incidents like eve-teasing, a police official said.
