COPS TO FORM SPECIAL TEAMS TO CRACK DOWN ON CRACKERS

NEWDELHI: The Delhi Police said it would take “strict action” against anyone defying the court order and would form “special teams” to implement the rule.

Dependra Pathak, Special CP (Traffic) and the police’s chief spokesperson, said the police “had begun examining the court’s order so that it is followed without fail”. “We will appeal to the public to cooperate with us to implement the order,” he added.

But other senior officers said implementing the order was going to be a tough task. “We can prevent the sale of crackers from big and licensed shops, but a large number of retailers will do business from their homes as they have already purchased them. Cracking down on thousands of such shops will be difficult. They will find support from customers,” said a senior officer.

“But we will intensify patrolling on the streets,” said the officer, hoping action against a few will send a message to others.

Senior officers appeared perplexed on how to deal to prevent online sales of crackers. “We are examining the order to understand its bearing on online sales. Though many of these websites may not physically be operating from Delhi, they will still be supplying crackers to Delhiites,” another officer told HT.

“We will think of making a database of such websites and instructing them not to supply to Delhi addresses,” said the officer.

The police were undecided how to react to people bursting crackers as the order does not call it an illegal act. “Under any condition, we will go by an earlier court ruling in which bursting of crackers is not permitted after 10 pm,” said the officer.

Senior police officers will held a meeting on how to implement the order. “We will decide on how to deal with people buying crackers outside Delhi-ncr and bursting them in the Capital,” said the officer.

In north Delhi’s Sadar Bazar, where a large number of licensed crackers shops are located, local traders met the police to “clear confusion” about the order. “We told them that there is a complete ban on the sale of crackers in Delhi. Any violation will be met with a FIR,” said a police officer.