Pune car crash: Action against bars affecting livelihood, employees protest

In the wake of action against pubs and bars by the local administration in Pune following the car crash incident involving a teenager, scores of employees from such establishments on Friday held protests here, stating they were losing their livelihood due to it.

"We are facing the brunt of the fault of two bars," said an employee of a bar.

Approximately 2,500 employees along with the owners of bars and pubs gathered at the Raja Bahadur Mills near Pune station area.

After the Kalyaninagar incident, the district administration is taking action against several pubs and bars. As many as 32 such establishments in different parts of Pune faced action following orders from the Pune Collector.

One of the women employees, who took part in the protest said, those pubs that are violating the rules should be punished. An employee at a pub in Mundhwa area said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, they suffered a lot.

"Now after the accident, we are again made to suffer. We have our families to look after. As action is being taken against pubs, we are on the brink of losing our jobs," he said.

A Porsche, allegedly driven by the teenager, who the police claim was drunk at the time, killed two motorbike-borne software engineers in Kalyani Nagar area of the city in the early hours of Sunday. As per the police, the teenager, before the accident, had allegedly consumed alcohol at a hotel.

Apart from the boy's father, the police have arrested two employees and owner of two liquor serving establishments - Cosie restaurant and Hotel Blak Club hotel in Mundhwa.