Over 320 persons were arrested across Calcutta and in the Bidhannagar commissionerate area for disorderly conduct on Monday, police said.
Around 50 litres of liquor were seized during the day.
On Holi last year, a little over 200 people had been arrested for disorderly conduct.
While the number of prosecutions in Calcutta till Monday evening was around 300, more than 20 people were prosecuted in areas policed by the Bidhannagar commissionerate for disorderly conduct such as harassment and splashing colours on people without their consent.
The areas under the commissionerate include Bangur, Lake Town, New Town, Rajarhat and Salt Lake.
Senior officers of Kolkata Police said there were fewer complaints of forcible splashing of colours compared with previous years. The majority of the arrests were related to drunken brawl, blocking roads while playing Holi, drinking in the open and creating nuisance.
“There was no major law and order problem that needed police intervention. There were incidents of forcible use of colours and those were immediately attended to,” said a senior officer at the Kolkata Police headquarters in
Lalbazar.
This year the city was split into over 25 zones and an official of the rank of deputy commissioner of police or assistant commissioner of police was assigned each zone to ensure the Holi celebrations remained peaceful.
“Around 3,500 additional cops have been deployed in the areas under Kolkata Police on the occasion of Holi. With the elections round the corner, special arrangements have been made to ensure there’s no sudden deterioration in the law and order situation,” an officer said.
While most of the city played Holi on Monday, many pockets, including parts of Phoolbagan, Burrabazar, Posta and Beleghata, will celebrate the festival of colours on Tuesday, the police said.
In areas under the jurisdiction of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, more than 20 people were prosecuted till Monday evening, a senior officer of the commissionerate said.
More than 600 policemen, including senior officers, roamed the streets in the areas under the commissionerate. They also kept an eye on housing complexes.
Around 30 motorists were booked for driving or riding under the influence of alcohol, riding without wearing helmets and carrying more than one pillion rider.
Police checkpoints were set up at various major intersections along VIP Road and in Salt Lake and New Town.
“We kept a strict vigil. This year the number of prosecutions are fewer compared
with earlier years,” the officer said.
Cops in plainclothes were out in numbers. Women police teams, too, made the rounds to prevent incidents of teasing.
