Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 14 Oct: Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal has taken serious cognisance of a fire incident that occurred at Circle Bar on Rajpur Road yesterday and has ordered the suspension of its licence for a period of 15 days. The DM has also constituted a joint inquiry team under the leadership of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) and Officer-in-Charge, Excise, Hari Giri to investigate the incident in detail.
Reiterating that public safety remains the administration’s foremost priority, the DM stated that strict measures would be taken against any establishment found neglecting safety norms. The fire incident at Circle Bar, caused by the organisers’ gross negligence, brought to light a complete disregard for safety standards, prompting the administration to act swiftly and decisively by suspending the bar’s licence.
The joint investigation team has found that serious lapses in safety compliance had occurred and that gross negligence was displayed by the organisers, which could easily have resulted in a major tragedy. During the inspection, it was found that the mishap took place in the third-floor hall of Circle Bar, FL-7, where nearly 40 to 50 people were present at the time. Two members (Bartenders) of the bar staff were performing a ‘Juggling and Fire’ show involving fire play, during which both also sustained burn injuries as the fire suddenly went out of control. According to the administration, this act endangered the lives of all those present and had the potential to trigger a major fire incident at the place. The ceiling of the hall contained wooden structures and decorative branches, which heightened the risk of the fire spreading rapidly.
The investigation further revealed that the bar staff, appointed solely for the purpose of serving liquor, were being engaged in activities beyond their designated duties, for which they obviously lacked the necessary expertise. This constituted a violation of the conditions stipulated in the bar’s licence. The District Administration concluded that the management’s carelessness and breach of safety standards endangered the lives of nearly 50 patrons and resulted in injuries to two staff members.
In light of these findings and in view of the grave lapses under Section 34 (b) and (e) of the State Excise Act, which empower authorities to cancel or suspend a licence, the DM has ordered the suspension of Circle Bar’s licence for 15 days. The administration has reiterated that it will continue to enforce stringent measures to ensure public safety and accountability in all licensed establishments across the district.
