In Hyderabad: despite the police retracting their initial plan to shut down commercial establishments by 10:30 PM, confusion persists among traders regarding the closing deadlines for their businesses.
Videos circulating on social media show a police patrol vehicle instructing people to avoid late-night outings and threatening consequences if disobeyed, causing widespread alarm. The police statement also indicated a shift towards less lenient policing measures.
On Monday, all shops closed by 10:30 pm amid heightened citizen apprehension. Some shopkeepers had already shut their doors by 10:15 pm, hastening home.
“It’s reminiscent of the days when citywide curfews were enforced at night. People kept a watchful eye on the time, closing shops early to avoid encounters with police,” remarked Shaik Yaseer, a trader at Mahboob Chowk.
By 11 pm, typically lively areas such as Kalapather, Jahanuma, Fateh Darwaza, and Tallabkatta appeared deserted. Traffic dwindled, and attendees left functions early for home. The Commissioner’s Task Force patrolled the old city streets, conducting checks on pedestrians.
“We appreciate the police’s concern for public safety, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of law-abiding citizens’ livelihoods. Those returning from late shifts are being unfairly treated, facing verbal abuse and humiliation,” expressed Mohd Akram, a social activist.
Since Sunday afternoon, social media buzzed with reports of the Telangana police ordering shops to close by 10:30 pm. Only on Monday night did Hyderabad police clarify via Twitter that no such directive had been issued, and businesses could operate as usual.
https://x.com/hydcitypolice/status/1805269733891002532
Sources confirmed that department heads had instructed field staff to enforce shop closures by 10:30 pm and conduct extensive frisking operations throughout the city.