Police prosecuted 1,178 motorists in the city for violating the night curfew rules on the eve and early morning of Independence Day.

A large number of those prosecuted told cops that they had confused the restriction time on Saturday night with the new night curfew timings that would be in effect from Monday night, officers said.

“Many of them told us that the curfew has been reduced by two hours and every time we had to remind them that the new timings would be effective only from Monday night,” said an officer of the traffic department in south Calcutta.

Till Sunday, the night curfew was between 9pm and 5am the next morning.

According to a recent government notification, the curfew hours at night have been reduced by two hours from Monday, suggesting that citizens, except people attached with emergency or essential services, will not be allowed to stay outdoors after 11pm instead of 9pm every night.

On the eve of the Independence Day, the 25 traffic guards intercepted and carried out anti-sabotage checking of 2,447 vehicles across the city between 9pm on Saturday and 5am on Sunday.

Of these, 1,178 motorists could not give an explanation for why they were on the roads violating the curfew, cops said.

A majority of the prosecutions were reported from the east traffic guard that covers pockets of south Calcutta, including Shakespeare Sarani, Camac Street and Park Street.

Many of the prosecuted cited the presence of their families in the car while requesting they be spared.

An officer posted on Rashbehari Connector said: “Many motorists think taking their families out during the curfew hours would give them immunity from being prosecuted.”