2 men burst crackers after midnight in Mankhurd, booked

MUMBAI :In a first in the city this Diwali, two unidentified persons were booked on Wednesday for bursting firecrackers outside the prescribed time in Mankhurd.

Guidelines prescribed by the Supreme Court (SC) have placed restrictions on the bursting of firecrackers between 8pm and 10pm.

Right to Information (RTI) activist Shakeel Ahmed Shaikh approached the Trombay police on Wednesday after he witnessed two men, aged around 20-22 years, bursting crackers on the road near his home at Maharashtra Nagar colony in Mankhurd at 12.06am.

According to his complaint, Shaikh called out to them from his window and asked them to stop bursting firecrackers. However, they refused, claimed Shaikh.

“I told them that it was too late and requested them to stop. Despite that, they went ahead to burst dozens of crackers,” said Shaikh, adding that the crackers were loud.

Shaikh then called the Mumbai police control room, following which the police arrived at the spot. The duo, however, fled the spot.

Fortunately, Shaikh had made a video recording of the duo bursting firecrackers.

“We have acquired the video clip from the complainant and are trying to trace the duo,” said Prakash Salvi, senior inspector, Trombay police station.

The duo may face arrest, said the police. Based on his complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the Trombay police station.

The police have registered a case under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Additionally, they have also been booked under section 33 (U) of the Bombay Police Act for letting off or throwing a firework