Patna, Oct. 14: Police failed to track the two youths even 24 hours after they molested a college student at Income Tax roundabout but issued a flurry of directions today to curb the reign of “hooligans” in the state capital.

The two inebriated youths yesterday molested the girl waiting for her father near the Income Tax roundabout. Her father was also assaulted when he turned up. When the girl and her father raised an alarm, the youths fled leaving behind their bikes.

The registration number of one of the bikes painted in red and blue has prompted the men in uniform to take action to reign in troublemakers.

First, the policemen have been directed to immediately remove the red and blue colours — the traditional colour code of the police — from number plates of their private vehicles.

Second, the cops have also decided to shoot a letter to the media houses asking them to provide a list of their journalists who have press stickers on their vehicles.

Third, a letter has been sent to the state excise department seeking a list of the liquor on shops in the district. The department has also been requested to shut down the liquor shop at Income Tax roundabout, the site of yesterday’s incident.

“The bikes of the two youths, who were teasing the girl and thrashed her father, are with the police. The district transport officer has been contacted and the police will soon trace the whereabouts of their owners. As one of the bike’s number plates had red and blue colours, an instruction has been sent to the policemen in Patna district to remove the colours from their private vehicles. They will have to comply with the order immediately,” Patna traffic superintendent of police (SP) Shivdeep Lande, who is also the city central SP, told The Telegraph today.

Two-wheelers and four-wheelers bearing the “press” tag would also be under lens.

“Letters will be sent to editors of both electronic and print media requesting them to hand over a list of names and vehicle details of their employees, who are on the field collecting stories. If the police know about the journalists, people using the ‘press’ stickers unnecessarily will be identified and action can be initiated against them,” the officer said.

Police sources, meanwhile, expressed surprise over the operation of the liquor on shop in the Income Tax roundabout area.

“Offices of several political parties and MLA Flats are located in the Income Tax roundabout area. It is a very busy area. It is strange that an on shop, which has a facility for customers to sit and drink in an enclosed place next to the shop, can come up there. Earlier too, the police had requested the excise department for its removal but nothing was done,” a police officer told The Telegraph.

“The police believe that the shop will close within two working days now. There are many on shops, which are turning out to be a hangout for hooligans. The police has also started conducting checks on all such shops,” Lande said.