Mangaluru: After Bantwal police booked the owner and manager of a marriage hall for allowing vehicles to be parked on Mangaluru-Bengaluru national highway obstructing traffic on Sunday, the city police too took a similar step against Milagres Hall for obstructing traffic on Falnir Road here on Monday.

They filed a case against the owner and administrator of Milagres Hall in Hampankatta for allowing vehicles to be parked on Falnir Road obstructing smooth flow of traffic.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Uma Prashant said that the two have been booked under Section 268 of the Indian Penal Code on the charge of causing public nuisance. In addition, they have been booked under Sections 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) and 290 (punishment for public nuisance) of the IPC.

The case was registered by the Mangaluru South Police.

The police have imposed fine on 25 persons who had parked their vehicles on the same road.

There was a demand on social media platforms that the city police take action against administrators of some prominent community halls who have been allowing visitors to park their vehicles on the roadside, causing hardship to motorists.

Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh said that the city police have registered cases under Section 283 in the past. “We will hold a drive in the next few days to send a message across that the police will not overlook instances of parking of vehicles near community halls, obstructing smooth flow of traffic,” he said.

Bantwal police had booked the owner and manager of Sagar marriage hall in Narikombu on Sunday for allowing vehicles to be parked on the highway, though parking space was available on the premises of the hall.