Police call on Preity to turn 'loud' birthday party down

Mumbai, Feb 1 (IANS) Mumbai Police played party pooper at Bollywood actress Preity Zinta's birthday bash after slum-dwellers in the neighbourhood complained of loud music early Sunday morning.

A police patrol team 'called on' Zinta's flat in Quantum Park building in Bandra and ordered them to turn down the volume of the loudspeakers following complaints from other residents in the area, around 2 a.m., an official of Khar police station told IANS here.

The police official said that the actress will be penalised as per the provisions for flouting noise pollution rules.

A local resident, Irfan Shaikh, said that very loud music was played in the party which started late Saturday and continued till the early hours Sunday.

'Whenever there is music or programmes in the slum areas, these people in big buildings complain against us and we have to shell out large fines. We also get disturbed and so we complained to the police,' he told media persons here Sunday morning.

Shaikh claimed that initially the police did not respond to their calls for help. It was only after repeated pleas that they intervened, he said, adding that soon after the police left, the volume was again turned full blast.

It is understood that other Bollywood bigwigs, including Shahrukh Khan, Farah Khan, Chunky Pandey and others were present at the birthday bash, which wound up this morning.