Tourists from Delhi held for dancing to loud music inside Atal Tunnel in Rohtang

Some tourists enroute to Kullu-Manali were arrested for stopping their vehicle inside the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang and dancing to loud music.

New Delhi: In Himachal Pradesh's Kullu, some tourists have been arrested for showing careless behaviour as they stopped midway inside the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang enroute to Kullu-Manali. 

According to the Kullu police, on Thursday (December 24, 2020) as many as seven youngsters who were on a road trip stopped in the middle of the road inside the Atal tunnel and created nuisance by dancing to loud music. 

“Tourists caused nuisance inside the tunnel which was a clear violation of traffic rules," he added, "Such activities pose threat to the passengers," Kullu SP Gaurav Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.

Singh said stopping of the vehicles inside the tunnel, even over speeding, overtaking and slowing down of the vehicles is not permitted. He said that the matter was being probed further.

The police said that the tourists have been booked under IPC sections 188 and 270 which correspond to charges of disobeying a public servant and acting to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.

Meanwhile, the Atal Tunnel Rohtang experienced the highest influx of the season on Sunday with as many as 2,800 vehicles entering the valley and 2,650 leaving towards Manali. The daily average influx for December has been around 1,500 vehicles, SP Lahaul Spiti District Police told ANI.

The Atal Tunnel at 9.02 kms is the longest highway tunnel in the world and connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley. It reduces the distance between Manali and Leh in Union Territory of Ladakh by 46 kilometres.

The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Mtrs (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).

It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2019.