In a continued crackdown on illegal hookah parlours, Nagpur Police raided a high-profile hookah party at a rooftop restaurant in Panchpaoli and detained 30 persons, including four women. The operation also resulted in the booking of the restaurant’s owner and manager, with hookah equipment, prohibited tobacco products and other materials worth over Rs 1.16 lakh seized from the premises.
The raid was conducted by the Panchpaoli Police after receiving specific information that an illegal hookah parlour was being operated on the fourth floor of Hammers Café & Rooftop Restaurant at Kamal Chowk.
Acting on the tip-off, a police team carried out a surprise inspection and allegedly found several customers consuming hookah in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). All 30 persons present, including four women, were taken into custody.
Police registered a case against the restaurant owner, Dheeraj Golcha, manager Ranjit Koche, and the customers found on the premises under relevant provisions of the COTPA and other applicable laws.
During the operation, police seized hookah pots, flavoured smoking products, banned tobacco items and other equipment used to run the illegal hookah parlour. The value of the seized material has been estimated at over Rs 1.16 lakh.
The raid comes a day after Nagpur Police busted another illegal hookah party at a hotel in the Sadar area, signalling an intensified citywide drive against unauthorised hookah parlours. Officials said the back-to-back operations reflect the department’s resolve to enforce anti-tobacco laws and curb the illegal sale and consumption of tobacco products.
Investigators are now probing how long the hookah parlour had been operating, whether the establishment had obtained the necessary permissions and if any other persons were involved in running the illegal operation. Further action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com