Crackdown: At least 720 arrested for bursting banned crackers & drinking liquor

kolkata: In bid to avoid any sort of untoward incident during Kali Puja and Diwali, the city police took necessary measures to check bursting of banned firecrackers.

On Thursday, police seized 1683.800 Kgs of firecrackers and 209. 08 litres of ID liquor. While 720 persons (including 16 persons from skyscrapers) on charges of drinking liquor and bursting firecrackers were arrested, 487 persons were prosecuted by Traffic Police department.The Kolkata Police intensified the checking of vehicles carrying fire crackers at all the entry points of the city from South 24-Parganas. There were certain areas like Nungi in South 24-Parganas where hundreds of firecrackers manufacturing units are situated and every year banned firecrackers are brought into the city from those places ahead of the Kali Puja.

"On the occasion of Kali Puja on November 5 at around 2.30, four persons - Tubai, Sahib, Padu and Paula- were arrested on charges of assaulting people in drunken state near Baghajatin Foot ball club and damaging windscreen of four cars parked there," said an official.

Following the order of the Supreme Court, use of all types of fireworks except green fireworks were banned this year across the state. Restrictions were also imposed on import, purchase, sale and storage of the same. At the same time, people were allowed to burst green fireworks on Diwali from 8 pm to 10 pm. The two-hour relaxation for the same on the day of Chhath Puja is from 6 am to 8 am. Bursting of green fireworks is allowed for 35 minutes from 11.55 pm to 12.30

am on Christmas and New Year's Eve.