ON THE WILD SIDE: A party in progress at a late-night hangout zone. A Telegraph picture

Case I: A businessman from New Alipore complains to the officer-in-charge of Shakespeare Sarani police station that his 16-year-old daughter did not return home the night before. He tells police that he called her late at night and came to know that she was in a discotheque. The cops visit the hotel that houses the disco and find the girl lying on a couch in the lobby. The hotel authorities say she was so drunk that she could not move.

Case II: A boy who just passed his ICSE exams returns to his Southern Avenue apartment well after midnight from a disco on Park Street. When his parents seek an explanation, he turns aggressive and smashes window panes and mirrors. The next day, the worried father contacts police.

Goaded by anxious parents, police are considering strict action to restrict the entry of minors into discotheques and liquor outlets across the city. ?There is an Act that prevents the sale of liquor to minors. It will be enforced strictly. We will also restrict the entry of minors into discotheques and bars,? said police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee.

Ranvir Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters), said: ?We are authorised to conduct raids on discos and bars to check whether liquor is being served to minors. In a bid to prevent it, our surprise checks will be intensified.?

Last weekend, policemen deployed in front of two discotheques on Park Street and Camac Street detained eight girls and boys, all below 18, who were drunk and in no state to walk. ?Since they were minors, we did not arrest them. All were released after their parents contacted us,? said a senior officer.

Anuj Sharma, deputy commissioner (south division), warned their managements that stern action would be taken if any minor was found on their compound. ?We are coordinating with the excise department to strengthen the vigil,? he asserted.

Earlier this week, he had ordered his men to keep a close eye around the late-night hangout zones. ?Cops are deployed in these areas daily, and the vigil is intensified on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Officers have been asked to prevent anyone from entering a disco if they suspect he/she is a minor,? the deputy commissioner said.

When contacted, most discos blurted out the same response ? ?identifying a minor often turns out to be difficult. If we suspect that an individual is under-age, we don?t serve him/her liquor. It is not always possible to ask for age proof or an identity card?.