CHENNAI: After the fatal incident linked to a clash between two groups inside a bar in Koyambedu, the licence of the bar has been temporarily suspended and the facility sealed for allegedly allowing entry to underage persons.
The action was taken on the orders of the commissioner of Prohibition and Excise after an inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner (Excise).
The decision follows an incident in which a dispute broke out between two groups while they were dancing inside the bar. Police said that as two women from one group were returning home on a two-wheeler, the members of the rival group allegedly rammed their car into the vehicle, leaving a Sri Lankan Tamil, Yancy (18), dead on the spot. The other girl, who sustained injuries, is undergoing treatment at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.
Many among the two groups were under 21 years of age, the legal age for purchasing and consuming liquor in the state.
Based on a case registered by the CMBT police, the excise department initiated action against the bar. The officials sealed the premises and said further legal proceedings would follow.
Expressing shock over the incident, the CPI state secretary M Veerapandian called for a ban on entertainment events in bars and the closure of bars operating without proper permission. He said rising crimes highlight the need to strengthen policing. He urged the government to promote positive social values via education, arts and cinema.