Entire ‘baraat’ booked in UP for dancing, creating nuisance on road

Barabanki, Dec 7 (IANS) An FIR has been lodged against the entire ‘baraat’ (wedding procession) in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district for revelry and dancing in the middle of the road on December 5 night.

The marriage venue owner, manager and professionals involved in bursting crackers in the procession were also booked, the police said.

The FIR is aimed at reducing traffic rule violations.

The incident took place at Arseni turn on the old Lucknow-Ayodhya highway under the city police station limits in Barabanki on Tuesday night when the marriage procession on the road threw traffic out of gear, causing several commuters and ambulances to be stuck in the jam.

The FIR was lodged by the in-charge of Awas Vikas police outpost, Manoj Kumar Singh, under Indian Penal Code sections 188 for illegal public gathering, 268 for causing public nuisance, 342 for wrongful restraints by obstructing the road as well as section 7 for Criminal Law Amendment act and violation of section 15 of Environment Protection Act by causing inconvenience through playing loud music and bursting crackers late night.

According to the FIR, the SI alleged that people in the marriage procession obstructed traffic by dancing and parking their vehicles inappropriately on the road. He further alleged they were dancing to loud music played by a DJ (music system) operator and using crackers on the road.

He said other than booking ‘baraatis’, the owner and manager of SL Lawn, where the marriage procession was headed, and ‘Atishbaaz’ (professionals involved in bursting of firecrackers) have been named as accused in the FIR.

–IANS

amita/dpb