KALYAN: A senior inspector of Dombivli police station was caught on the CCTV cameras of a bar smashing liquor bottles and abusing the staff in the wee hours of Thursday. While the bar owner, Madhavi Shahastrabudhe, claimed the cop was harassing her because she didn't pay him a Rs 50-lakh bribe , senior inspector Vijaysingh Pawar rubbished the claim. He said during night rounds, he saw that the bar was open around 3am, and the staffers refused to shut down, he "took action". A video clip of the incident has gone viral.The police have ordered an inquiry after Shahastrabudhe filed a written complaint demanding action against Pawar. Zonal DCP Sanjay Shinde told TOI: "The Dombivli ACP is inquiring into the allegations."In her complaint, Shahastrabudhe said Pawar was targeting her because she could not pay him Rs 50 lakh to drop a false food poisoning case registered against her husband. "We have paid him Rs 5 lakh. But as we could not pay the rest, he is harrassing us."The video clip shows Pawar, accompanied by a constable, entering Chandu Palace Bar after 2.40am. Shahastrabudhe claimed Pawar entered the closed bar through the back door when the staffers were cleaning the premises. But Pawar claimed the bar was operating beyond permitted hours and didn't have its papers in order-its entertainment licence was yet to be renewed. "All allegations are false. There are several cases against this bar. I was maintaining law and order because the bar was open even at 3am." Pawar admitted that it was his mistake to smash bottles. Shahastrabudhe claimed they had paid licence renewal fees, but the police were yet to issue it.According to a government notification, permit rooms, beer bars and establishments that serve liquor can function until 1.30am in municipal corporation areas and up to 12.30am in municipal council areas and the rest of the state. In Dombivli, bars can operate till 1.30am. If a bar is found open beyond permitted hours, the owner can be booked and fined Rs 1,200. For repeat offence, police can cancel entertainment licence.

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