Pune: 20 youth arrested by the police in a raid at Hookah Parlour

Last updated Oct 18, 2018

PUNE: NPNEWS24 ONLINE – The government of Maharashtra has recently introduced a blanket ban on Hookah parlours in the state with immediate effect.

Violations will be punishable with imprisonment for a term extending up to three years but which will not be less than one year and with fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh and may not be less than Rs 50,000.

But the night culture of Maharashtra and especially Pune is not ready to stop as the Hookah Parlours are still running in the outskirts of Pune.

Police raided the Dark Horse Hotel on Burning Ghat Road on Tuesday and found the hotel management had not even tried to keep the operations low-key as they were selling Hookah openly.
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Subsequently, Koregaon Park police have registered a case against the hotel owner and manager. Moreover, charges have been filed against 20 youths who have been arrested. Out of the youngsters arrested, 12 were boys and 8 were girls.

Police officers were tipped-off about the functioning of an illegal hookah parlour in the hotel which falls under the jurisdiction of Koregaon Park police station. Upon raiding the premises, youngsters in the age group of 19 to 25 years were arrested. A case has been registered against the hotel owner under section 4 (A), 21 (A) of section 285 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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Subsequently, the city police raided at least 12 pubs, hotels and eating joints in Koregaon Park, Mundhwa, Senapati Bapat Road and Yerawada.

Police had found hookahs being served at three of the pubs in Mundhwa. In other hotels, the patrons were found illegally smoking. Also, many of the restaurants and pubs were found operating beyond their stipulated closing deadlines.

The raiding team was headed by deputy commissioners of police (economics and cyber) Jyoti Priya Singh and Shirish Sardeshpande. Assistant commissioners of police (ACP) Bhanupratap Barge and Nilesh More, six inspectors, six assistant-inspectors and 40 constables participated in the raids.