Pune, long celebrated as the epicenter of Maharashtra's cultural vibrancy, has gained notoriety in recent times as a hotspot for criminal activities. In the heart of the night, the tranquil ambiance of Pune's Camp locality near Golibar Maidan Chowk was shattered by the deafening roar of modified bullet bike exhausts, much to the dismay of its residents. Adding to the disquiet, a congregation assembled outside the Pune Cantonment office around 2:00 AM, adjacent to the revered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj monument, to observe Shiv Jayanti.
The celebrations organized by the group transformed into a distressing ordeal for the inhabitants of Konark Aditya Housing Society. Allegedly, the crowd created a cacophony by revving their bike engines with customized exhausts, accompanied by raucous chanting and slogan-shouting, disturbing the peace of the neighborhood streets throughout the night.
A resident of the Konark Aditya Society said, “I woke to a loud firing-like noise in the middle of the night. When I Looked out of the window I saw a group of 10 to 12 people making blasting noise from their bike silencers. It went on for around two hours. The crowd did not even bother that there is a cardiac hospital which is not even 100 meters from the spot.”
Another resident stated “It has become twice a year affair where a group of 10 to 15 people gather near the PCB office on Shiv Jayanti and create havoc in the neighbourhood. We cannot directly confront them as they are goons. We have requested the police but no action has been taken yet on anyone.”
A female resident stated “I work as HR in an IT firm and need to go to the office in the morning. The loud noise yesterday night disturbed my sleep which will be late for the office. Some children need to attend school in the morning and senior citizens are on medication in our society. The police and civic authorities should take strict action on such thugs.”
To help stem this problem, the Pune Traffic Police is urging the public to report any instances of motorbikes in the Pune City Commissionerate that use modified silencers. People may report the incident on the Pune Traffic Police's WhatsApp number, 80872 40400, and include the location and registration number of the vehicle.
In addition, the police have made it clear that shops that sell these modified silencers face legal action in addition to the penalties that riders would face.
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According to the Pune Traffic Police, using modified silencers is a violation of Section 198 of the Motor Vehicle Act, especially in the case of Bullet motorcycles. In addition to breaking rules, these alterations exacerbate noise pollution, which disturbs the peace in many parts of the city during the day and at night.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Rohidas Pawar while talking to LokamtTimes.com said, “I received a phone call late at night from a resident claiming that some people are creating a nuisance by making a loud noise of bullet silencers. We will identify the culprits and take strict action against them. Using modified silencers is a crime and people should refrain from using them. The traffic department has already taken strict action against the people using modified silencers.”