Pokhara, March 11
Owners of night businesses based in Pokhara and Lekhnath, Kaski district, are on agitation.
They are seething after Ghanashyam Aryal, new deputy superintendent of police, directed Dohori Sanjh restaurants, dance bars, Gazal and live music restaurants in the two cities to shut shop at 10 pm.
Right after his transfer to Kaski, SP Aryal had met captains of night businesses in the cities and directed them to down shutters at 10 pm. Police claim that Dohori Sanjh and other restaurants that operate at night have become a safe haven for criminal activities.
In the wake of the SP’s directive, Dohori Sanjh, dance bars and live music restaurants based in Pokhara’s hotspots, including Lakeside, Mahendra Pool, Chiple Dhunga and Sirjana Chowk, downed shuttered on Thursday evening itself in protest.
Sim Gurung, president of Dohori Sanjh Business-owners Committee (Kaski), says running night businesses is not worth it if they have to down shutters at 10 pm. Protesting the SP’s directive, we shut 15 Dohori Sanjh, 18 dance bars, three Gazal restaurants and 10 live music restaurants in Pokhara and Lekhnath, he said.
Purushottam Neupane, singer and proprietor of Rimjhim Dohori Sanjh, accused police of trying to shut night businesses with malintent. “Police cannot shut businesses citing security reasons. They shall investigate the matter if they suspect that Dohori, dance bars and other night businesses are promoting crime.
The night business owners have submitted a memorandum to chief district officer, demanding withdrawal of the SP’s directive as it has put the night businesses in peril.
With the recent murder of actor Neha Pun in Kaski in recent days, challenges to law and order have only increased. In this context, police have increased scrutiny on night businesses. But a source claims police are taking this context as a bargaining chip to secure ‘economic gains’.
