Shimla residents were forced to stay indoors and most tourists opted to remain inside the hotels as a mob of hooligans from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana towns -- most of them drunk -- went "berserk" a little before midnight. The revellers created ugly scenes, hurled abuses and even resorted to eve-teasing.

Things were under control till 8 p.m. and even Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, accompanied by some ministerial colleagues, went round the Mall to enjoy the evening with merry-makers. Thereafter, it was a free for all.

Policemen and civil officials on duty exercised restrained but were forced to act after things went completely out of control. They resorted to a lathicharge and rounded up over 20 hooligans.

Deputy Commissioner Ran Subhag Singh, who himself camped at the control-room on the Mall along with SSP A.N. Sharma, told ENS that he was compelled to use force to clear the Mall and the Ridge of hooligans and miscreants. Three persons from Haryana who were injured in a group clash had to be rushed to IGMC Hospital for treatment. "They themselves were in such a drunken state that they could not recollect as to what had actually happened to them," a senior police official said.

The Bill Road and the Ridge wore the night's ugly signs this morning with empty whisky bottles and other paper and plastic waste littered everywhere. The Shimla SP said a 300-strong police force had been posted on special duty but what happened was unavoidable since the hooligans had crossed all limits of civilised behaviour. "We had to chase them away and use force to restore order," he added. The police had to physically lift some drunken revellers.