Nagpur: In a disturbing display of street lawlessness, a group of men were caught on camera openly consuming alcohol and smoking hookah near a hospital in the upscale Dharampeth area of Nagpur — an incident that has reignited concerns over the effectiveness of police patrols in curbing street crime.
The now-viral video, First highlighted by Nagpur Today , shows a group of youths lounging by the roadside, with some seated in a car and on motorcycles, casually engaging in a hookah and liquor session. One of the men is seen shouting expletives and making threatening remarks, saying, “He should’ve been murdered, I was supposed to kill him.” The scene, shockingly set in a VIP area, appears to reflect growing brazenness among anti-social elements.
What’s more disturbing is the public setting of the gathering. Passersby, including women, are seen quickening their pace after hearing the abusive language, while others stop and watch, visibly stunned. Yet the group remains undeterred. A local resident discreetly recorded the incident, which reportedly occurred on Sunday night. The video quickly spread across social media, prompting swift action from Sitabuldi Police.
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Five men have been arrested based on the vehicle registration numbers seen in the footage. Those detained include Syed Irfan Syed Qamar Ali (35), Aditya Dilip Kamble (31), Mahadev Ishwar Somkunwar (47), Mukesh Fattish Marsapalle (45), and Bhuneshwar Ishwar Kanojia (32) — all residents of Ambedkar Nagar, Dharampeth.
This incident has also cast a shadow on the effectiveness of foot patrols — a key initiative pushed by Police Commissioner Dr. Ravinder Singal. Despite his directive for all police stations to conduct night foot patrols with detection branch (DB) teams, miscreants continue to defy the law openly.
In fact, Commissioner Singal himself has been conducting surprise inspections of police stations and sensitive zones for the past two weeks to assess whether his orders are being followed. Just last week, he cracked down on illegal street-side alcohol consumption near Khobragade Chowk in the Jaripatka area. Following the inspection, Singal reprimanded the Jaripatka Police Station in-charge for negligence.
Similar unruly street behaviour has been observed in other prominent areas including Sitabuldi, Ambazari, Sadar, and Bajaj Nagar, where groups of young men are often seen creating public nuisance on footpaths and roadsides.
The latest arrests may have temporarily brought this particular group to heel, but the incident underscores a larger issue: even in Nagpur’s most prestigious localities, the rule of law is under visible strain.
