Rahul Chaudhary apparently needed a drink so bad that he was almost prepared to kill for it. On being denied entry to the swank Salotto 44 bar in Hauz Khas early on Saturday for refusing to pay a fee, the Madangir resident pulled out a gun and fired in the air.

A scuffle ensued between the bouncers and Chaudhary with four to five associates in tow.

The accused, who's in police custody, also managed to stab Nnamdi Makuochuk - a Nigerian national living in Greater Noida - and a bouncer named Manoj who is a resident of Delhi's Fatehpur Beri area.

Tony south Delhi neighbourhoods such as Hauz Khas and Green Park have seen a spike in incidents like brawls and drunken misconduct with pubs and nightclubs mushrooming in the area, also raising concerns regarding women's safety.

"We received a call at 12.25 am about a brawl at Salotto bar," said Nupur Prasad, additional DCP of south district.

"A PCR team immediately rushed to the spot. Two people, including a Nigerian national, were stabbed. The accused was also beaten up by people present at the spot."

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AS MANY AS 107 FIRs THIS YEAR

The south district police have registered as many as 107 FIRs and apprehended 108 offenders this year in such cases in the area under various Delhi Police laws, Excise Act and the Indian Penal Code.

About 29 FIRs were registered under the Excise Act and 81 people were arrested.

In 2015, there were 120 FIRs under different sections and south district police had arrested 118 offenders.

A total of 25 FIRs were registered under the Excise Act and 64 people were arrested for consuming liquor in open spaces.

CHAOS IN HAUZ KHAS, GREEN PARK

There are 44 restobars in the posh Hauz Khas Village and all of them are situated in three-to-four-storey buildings on either side of narrow lanes. As a result, there is a space crunch for parking vehicles.

Visitors often get involved in spats, which sometimes take an ugly turn RP Upadhyay, special commissioner of south-east range, told Mail Today, "We have been keeping vigil in Haus Khas with additional deployment. Police have been given strict directions to take strong action against offenders. They have also been asked to create awareness among visitors and residents living in adjoining localities to lodge complaints about such incidents through e-FIRs. We have witnessed a sharp increase in this regard with complainants opting for the electronic mode."

Residents of adjoining Green Park are living a nightlife nightmare due to non-implementation of the new excise law enforced by Delhi government.

CS Goel, general secretary of the Green Park residential society, alleged that nightclub goers park vehicles haphazardly and consume liquor in the open despite the Kejriwal government imposing a hefty five thousand-rupee fine for offenders. "Most culprits are those who are denied permission into nightclubs," he said.

"Vehicles bearing registration plates from Haryana and UP are often found parked in our residential blocks with the occupants consuming liquor and indulging in immoral acts openly. They play loud music and dump empty liquor bottles on the roadside."

Upmarket Green Park has just 6 restobars compared to 44 in Hauz Khas Village. But police registered 125 FIRs here this year, compared to 107 at HKV. Besides, there appears to be a communication gap between the excise department run by the AAP government and the Delhi Police working under the central government.

A source in the excise department said officials only issue challans to offenders on the ground under the Excise Act, but they need police protection.

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