HYDERABAD: Officials from the excise department revealed that a staff member from a school in the city had sought permission from the management of Amnesia pub to host a party, asking them to allot the fourth floor of the establishment and provide the students with food and mocktails.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, K. Karuna, excise inspector of the district task force (DTF), said the Amnesia pub management had told the excise officials during an inquiry that the school staffer, along with the host, Osman Ali Khan, had approached them for permission. “Permission was granted for the students on the fourth floor and it was requested that only food and mocktails were served to them,” said the official.
The pub management said they had the liquor ‘locked and covered’, away from the students.
“We received information about the party from Osman Ali Khan, who hosted it. After knowing that the crowd included a lot of minors, we had the liquor locked up and covered. We had several requests to sell them booze but we refused them,” said a member of the management.
Upon being asked about the allegation that some of the students were found drunk, they said liquor was properly locked and the CCTV footage could verify the same. “The footage of the crowd leaving at 5 pm shows that nobody was drunk and they all looked stable,” he said.
“My son said the place was a ‘non alcoholic pub’ while asking for permission to join the party,” said the father of one of the accused.
Excise officials said there was nothing called a ‘non-alcoholic pub’ and that an investigation had clarified that no violation was reported during the party.
Responding to claims of sources that a few teenagers who attended the party were ‘heavily drunk’, excise officials said an investigation had revealed that no alcohol was served. “If the teenagers were drunk, they might have purchased it from elsewhere. It was ensured that it was a non-alcoholic party which took place on the fourth floor of the building,” the official said.
