Nagpur: In a midnight operation, the city police raided three illegal hookah parlours in the Gokulpeth area, rescuing 84 persons who were allegedly locked inside the premises. The operation was supervised by Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashmitha Rao, and DCP Nityanand Jha, and exposed serious safety violations disguised as hospitality businesses.
First Raid: Dense Smoke and Seized Materials
At one of the cafes, operated by Dnyaneshwar Paunikar, police found 29 persons—comprising 17 men, 5 women, and staff—consuming hookah inside enclosed rooms filled with dense smoke. Hookah pots, flavoured tobacco products, cylinders, furniture, and related materials were seized from the premises.
Second Raid: Customers Allegedly Confined for Hours
At another cafe run by owner Sheikh Sameer, 41 persons—including 23 men, 3 women, and 14 waiters and staff—were allegedly confined for several hours. Customers were reportedly prevented from leaving as hookah sessions continued. Fearing suffocation due to poor ventilation, police immediately called the fire brigade, who forcibly opened the exits and safely evacuated everyone.
Third Raid: Locked from Outside
In the third raid, at a cafe owned by Arslan Faim Mirza, the premises were found locked from outside with 14 persons—9 men, 4 women, and staff—allegedly trapped inside. Fire brigade personnel had to break open the entrance to rescue them.
Legal Action Taken
Cases have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement, along with provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and the Maharashtra Police Act.
