Nagpur: Two men booked for arguing with police over cigarette shop closure
Two youths who questioned a late-night police team closing a cigarette shop in Ramdaspeth allegedly abused and threatened officers, leading to a case being filed.
A strange dispute in Nagpur's Ramdaspeth area reached a police station late at night. Instead of cooperating with a police team that had arrived to shut a cigarette shop, two youths reportedly asked where they would get cigarettes if the shop was closed. The question soon escalated into abuse, scuffling and threats, after which Sitabuldi police registered a case against both of them.
According to police, the incident took place around 11.50 pm on the night of September 19 near Badwal Apartment in Ramdaspeth. Police had received information that some shops in the area were open till late at night. Following this, Sitabuldi police station constable Basaruddin Ansari reached the spot with his patrol team.
The police team asked a shop that was open past the stipulated time to shut immediately. At this point, Lokesh Kulbhale, a resident of Giripeth, and Gautam Jaiswani, a resident of Jaripatka, began objecting to the police action.
Police said the two youths began arguing over the shop's closure, and the argument soon escalated. They are accused of allegedly abusing the policemen and scuffling with them, obstructing government work. The matter did not stop there, as the two are also accused of allegedly threatening the policemen. The dispute, which flared up suddenly during a routine late-night shop closure, created a tense atmosphere at the spot for some time.
The police team said it had gone to close the shop that was open past hours strictly as per rules, but the situation worsened due to the youths' opposition. The patrol team immediately informed senior officers and the matter was taken to Sitabuldi police station.
Police have registered a case against the two youths on charges of obstructing government work, arguing with policemen, abusing them and issuing threats. Police are investigating the matter further.
The dispute, which began over insistence on buying cigarettes at night, eventually led the two youths to the police station. Police are now taking further action based on the sequence of events, statements of people present at the spot and other evidence.
