Delhi Police conducted a drive against public drinking in various places in Dwarka on June 2 and 3 during which 491 people were apprehended under Section 40-A (Consuming liquor in public places) of the Excise Act. During the drive, police arrested 145 people from Dwarka Sub-Division, 151 persons from Dabri, 149 from Najafgarh and 46 from the Chhawla sub-division, reported news agency ANI.
This development comes just days after Delhi Metro allowed passengers to carry two sealed bottles of alcohol with them, according to revised norms. Passengers will be allowed to carry two sealed bottles of liquor on all metro lines, the DMRC said on Friday.
Drinking of alcohol inside metro premises is still strictly prohibited, an official said. Other than the Airport Express Line, carrying of alcohol was banned in the Delhi Metro till recently.
"A committee comprising officials from the CISF and DMRC have reviewed the list and as per the revised list, two sealed bottles of alcohol per person is allowed to be carried on the Delhi Metro at par with the provisions on the Airport Express Line," said the official to PTI.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation also made it clear that the passengers would be required to maintain proper decorum while travelling on metro trains.
While public order is important and no one should be allowed to disturb law-and-order, it is also true that liquor rakes in large amounts of revenue for governments and remains legal. The step, therefore, can be beneficial to citizens even though the authorities should keep a check on unlawful elements and those attempting to drink in public places.
It threatened action under relevant provisions of law against passengers found behaving in an indecent manner under the influence of alcohol.