HC extends access to Pune hotels till midnight

The Bombay high court (HC) recently ordered that entry to customers of hotels on National Defence Academy (NDA) Road be provided till 11pm, but they would have to leave by midnight.

Legal advisor of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Manjusha Idhate, told reporters about the order passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi.

She said that restrictions on movement of citizens on NDA Road was earlier restricted to 11 pm. She said the NDA authorities would continue to have powers to make inquiry of suspicious persons. It can install metal detectors and check boot spaces of vehicles to ensure security.

She said the HC orders would not impact access to NDA Road for local residents.

The NDA had imposed restrictions on entry of citizens on the road, from Chandni Chowk to the gate of the NDA. Citizens had protested against the restrictions, while hotel owners had approached court.