Bangalore: New year celebration timings changed in wake of terror attack

Police officials with sniffer dogs inspect luggage at a railway station after a high alert was declared following an explosion on Sunday night, in Bengaluru on Monday. (Source: PTI Photo)

The Bangalore city police have cut short the New Year Celebration by an hour following the blast at Church Street on Sunday evening. The city police are also planning to impose restriction on public  gathering in and around the MG Road on the eve of January 1st.

It was only last Saturday that the city police had issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the bar and restaurants to open till 2 am on January 1, in connection with the New Year Celebrations in the city. The renewed NOC will applicable till 1 am on January 1 for the celebration of New Year.

Police commissioner MN Reddi said that the city police has now allowed the bar and restaurants to function till 1 am. “ I will hold a meeting with police officers to decide the nature of restrictions,” MN Reddi said.

According to police the bar managements should obtain necessary permission from the State Excise Department to keep open during the additional hours. Meanwhile entertainment centers need not apply for NOC individually as a general NOC is enough for them to keep their establishments open, he added.