Pune: Shivajinagar Police Register Criminal Case Against L3 Bar Owners For Illegal Alterations

Pune, 27th June 2024: The Shivajinagar police have registered a criminal case against Santosh Kamthe, co-owner of the Liquid Leisure Lounge (L3) bar on FC Road, and Ravi Maheshwari, the permit room license-holder operating the facility as a tenant, for making unauthorized alterations to the establishment.

The charges, filed on Tuesday night, include violating development restrictions and unauthorized development not in conformity with the development plan. Earlier that day, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had demolished a hidden staircase connecting the bar’s mezzanine floor to the second floor, which was built without proper authorization and deviated from the submitted floor plan.

Rahul Rasale, a building inspector for the PMC, lodged the complaint under sections 43 (restriction on the development of land) and 52 (unauthorized development or use otherwise than in conformity with the development plan) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act against Kamthe and Maheshwari.

The case follows the arrest of Kamthe, Maheshwari, and six others on Monday morning after a raid on the bar Sunday afternoon. The raid was conducted due to violations of the 1:30 a.m. closure deadline and an investigation into alleged drug use at an illegal after-party that continued until 4:30 a.m. A video clip showing two men consuming a substance in the bar’s washroom circulated on social media, prompting the raid.

The incident has sparked significant public outcry, with citizens and political parties criticizing the government over deteriorating law and order and the rising drug menace in Pune.

Additionally, the police identified and arrested a Mumbai architect and a Mundhwa techie seen in the video clip. All arrested individuals are in police custody until June 29.

The FIR noted that the PMC had issued notices to Kamthe and Maheshwari on May 28, giving them a fortnight to respond to the illegal alterations observed by civic officials. The duo failed to provide satisfactory responses.

Kamthe’s lawyer, Sushrut Kamble, said, “We had provided all necessary documents to the PMC officials and the state excise department on the changes carried out before April this year. However, the civic authorities have not recorded this communication.”