While complaints poured in on Friday during the weekly phone-in programme of the Mangaluru Police Commissioner on the inconvenience caused following a marriage function at an open ground in Kallapu, near Thokkottu junction on NH66, the city police have registered a criminal case against the organisers of the function and the owner of the party hall.
The function at an open ground outside Unity Hall in Kallapu on Wednesday evening led to haphazard parking of four-wheelers.
This led to a traffic jam on the highway for more than four hours.
The Traffic South police on Friday registered a case against Faizal, owner of Unity Hall, and another person, who organised the marriage function, under Section 283 of the Indian Penal Code.
Activist G.K. Bhat was the first to raise the issue before the Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh. Mr. Bhat said, in the past too, traffic has been held up when marriages were held at Unity Hall. He demanded tough action against the organisers.
A resident of Yekkur said he was stuck in the traffic jam. When he called the Ullal police, they allegedly brushed it aside and asked him to call the traffic police.
The traffic police, he claimed, refused to take note of it and asked him to call the Ullal police. “Give me details of the calls and I will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the concerned personnel,” Mr. Suresh replied.
A resident of Thokkotu said while motorists are penalised for traffic violation the organisers of marriage functions and owners of marriage halls should be booked for allowing parking of vehicles by the roadside.
In the phone-in programme and at the ‘meet the press’ later in the day, Mr. Suresh said the city police have registered a suo motu criminal case with regard to the Kallapu function. “But this might not help as the accused will go scot-free after paying a paltry fine.”
Mr. Suresh said they are writing to the concerned urban local body for cancellation of the trade licence of Unity Hall.
The same action will be taken against the community hall in Adyar, off the National Highway, where traffic jams occur when functions are held, he added.
