Hyderabad: Two arrested for running illegal hookah bar
- All rules in accordance with the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, were flouted.
Hyderabad: Two persons were arrested for running an illegal hookah bar in the city on Saturday.
According to a police release, Mohammed Badruddin and Mohammed Shoib ran a hookah parlour near Abids without valid permission from the concerned authorities. Police conducted a surprise raid and the two were arrested based on the information.
All rules in accordance with the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, were flouted. They would serve their customers flavors containing nicotine and tobacco. The parlour had no non-smoking zone. ID cards of customers were not checked. Food and beverages were served in the smoking area which was more than 30% of the total floor area, the police said.
The smoking area was not surrounded by walls and the entrance did not have automated closing doors. There was no airflow or ventilation.
The owner of the club Mohammed Abdul Sagaf is still at large. A case under the COPT Act has been registered, the police informed.
