Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar has urged residents, particularly young people and parents, to stop holding midnight birthday celebrations and cake-cutting events at Tank Bund, main roads, ponds and parks after a fatal road accident at Tank Bund claimed the lives of a six-year-old child and a family member.
In a video message, Sajjanar said celebrations intended to be happy occasions were resulting in irreparable losses for families because of impulsive and negligent behaviour. He recalled an accident that occurred at around 2 am on Tank Bund after a family visited the location to celebrate the child’s birthday.
The commissioner said police reached the accident site after receiving information and took the injured to hospital, but the rescue effort could not save the child and the family member. He said he had inspected the site with senior police officers and that the department was taking preventive measures to avoid similar incidents.
According to Sajjanar, the police have conducted a comprehensive review in coordination with various government departments to address the accident risk at Tank Bund. He did not provide details of the specific measures in the video message.
Sajjanar said birthdays were personal family occasions and should be celebrated at home or in other safe locations. He also warned that roads tend to see less traffic at midnight, encouraging some motorists to drive at excessive speeds. Bringing children onto roads at that time, he said, was unsafe.
The commissioner reiterated that birthday celebrations at Tank Bund are prohibited under existing rules and said the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation had issued clear instructions on the matter in the past. Police personnel, he said, had regularly been sending people away from the location, but some returned later at night to conduct celebrations.
The appeal places renewed attention on how public spaces and major roads are being used after midnight, when lower traffic volumes can combine with speeding and informal gatherings. Tank Bund is a prominent public location in Hyderabad, but the police statement indicates that access restrictions and enforcement alone have not prevented people from returning for celebrations.
Sajjanar urged residents to cooperate with the city police and said lives should not be lost for momentary pleasure. The police and other government departments are expected to continue their review of Tank Bund and related preventive measures.
