An Indian restaurant in Peterborough could lose its drinks licence following an incident earlier this year in which two men sustained knife injuries.
Cambridgeshire Police has called for a review of the premises licence for the Shah Jehan in Park Road, Peterborough.
The city council licensing subcommittee will consider the application at a meeting at Sand Martin House on April 24.
Licensing officer PC Paul Hawkins described the background to the application in documents released by the city council.
“On Monday 20th February 2023, at approximately 05:00 hours there was a serious violent incident within the Shah Jehan which continued onto Park Road,” he says.
“Two males received injuries to their persons, caused by a knife which required hospital treatment.
“The premises licence holder Mohammed Khawar is suspected of being present and one of the persons involved; despite attempts to speak to Mr Khawar he has not been contactable since the incident.
“The premises CCTV hard drive / recording device that was in existence prior to the incident has been removed prior to police attendance.
“The incident is still under investigation and therefore only limited information can be shared at this time.”
PC Hawkins says: “It should be noted that the Gulzar Ahmed who was the designated premises supervisor (DPS) at the time of the incident but not present, has since resigned as DPS.”
He adds: “Cambridgeshire Constabulary respectfully requests that the licensing committee considers revocation of the premises Licence, given the circumstances and the actions of Mr Khawar which leads us to question as to whether Mr Khawar is still considered a fit and proper person to run a licensed premises.”
He says that Cambridgeshire Constabulary “as a responsible authority recommends revocation due to the seriousness of criminal activity identified”.
The hearing will be reminded that licensing authorities do not have the power to judge the criminality or otherwise of any issue which is a matter for the courts.
“The licensing authority’s role when determining such a review is not therefore to establish the guilt or innocence of any individual but to ensure the promotion of the crime prevention objective,” says PC Hawkins.
“It is envisaged that licensing authorities, the police, the Home Office (Immigration Enforcement) and other law enforcement agencies, which are responsible authorities, will use the review procedures effectively to deter such activities and crime.
“Where reviews arise and the licensing authority determines that the crime prevention objective is being undermined through the premises being used to further crimes, it is expected that revocation of the licence – even in the first instance – should be seriously considered.”
The committee will be told, by way of background, that a conversion application (grandfather rights) of a Justices ‘off licence’ was made by Mr Mohammed Saghir and granted in August 2005.
The licence was transferred to the current licence holder, Mr Mohammed Khawar, on 1 July 2020 and Mr Gulzar Ahmed was the DPS.
A copy of the application to review was displayed on the premises.
“No other representations have been received from any of the remaining responsible authorities nor from ‘other persons’”, says a report by council officers to the committee.
The restaurant has an alcohol licence for consumption on the premises and the provision of late-night refreshments premises licence.
