In a crackdown against those violating Covid guidelines, Delhi Police prosecuted 173 people, including 13 banquet hall owners, 58 restaurant owners and 3 night club owners, on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday.

“In a two-day special drive, several restaurants, night clubs and hotels have been fined and face cases for not maintaining social distancing and serving hookah…,” said Delhi Police Spokesperson Chinmoy Biswal.

In New Delhi district, police said owners of Jain Chawal Wala at Connaught Place, Informal Restaurant at Janpath, Classic Chicken Restaurant at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg and Choice Chicken Corner Kalina faced action. “Cases were registered under IPC sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). They’ve also been booked under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. Nine persons in Khan Market were fined Rs 2,000 each for not wearing masks and three at Ashoka Hotel in Chanakyapuri,” Additional DCP (New Delhi) Vikas Kumar said.

Police said in Southeast district, 10 FIRs were registered and 330 people were fined. “Night clubs, including M Houz Club and Bar, and Roar at Eros Hotel, in Nehru Place, were fined for not maintaining social distancing and serving hookahs. MCDs and the excise department have been asked to cancel their licences. A case has also been registered against Boken Cafe for not following Covid protocol. Restaurants in New Friends Colony like Brijwasi, Al Nawaz, Al Jawahar, Zehra Al Noor and Al Bake were also fined and booked under Epidemic Diseases Act,” DCP (Southeast) R P Meena said.

Owners of Jain Chawal Wala and Classic Chicken Restaurant said they are yet to receive the notice. Farooq Khan, manager at ‘Informal’ restaurant in Janpath, said: “Around 35-40 people… were drinking and dancing and not wearing masks… Police came and told us we will get a notice… this will not happen again.”

Boken Cafe owner Nandini Jain said, “If people waiting outside are not following norms, it should not be put on restaurants.”