Firecracker bursting time limit: 17 FIRs filed, 7 arrested in Panchkula for violating High Court order

Panchkula police conducts checks on bursting of firecrackers after 9:30pm. Jaipal Singh

Acting strictly on the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Panchkula police have registered 17 FIRs and arrested seven people for violating prohibitory orders on bursting fireworks after permissible time on Diwali. The seven people were arrested under Section 144 (violating the prohibitory orders) of IPC and later they were granted bail. In some of the FIRs, the accused are unknown and efforts are being made to identify them.

DCP, Panchkula, Manbir Singh, said, “We lodged FIRs on the basis of feedback received from the local police control room, video clips send by the general public and on the accounts shared by our police personnel, who caught people red-handed while bursting firecrackers after 9.30pm. We also appealed to many people not to burst crackers and people obliged our appeal and stopped.”

According to Panchkula police record, seven FIRs out of 17 were registered at Sector 5 police station, 3 were registered at Sector 20 police station and Sector 14 police station respectively. One FIR was registered at PS Chandimandir and two FIRs were registered at Mansa Devi Complex police station. Police said efforts are being made to arrest people, who were bursting crackers on Friday as well. Sources in the police control room said that complaints regarding bursting of crackers from various sectors were received till 12am and simultaneously information was forwarded to area police stations.

Police said the detailed record of all the FIRs and arrested persons will also be submitted in Punjab and Haryana high court.