The Hyderabad Police’s West Zone Task Fore conducted a surprise raid at a café in Jubilee Hills and arrested three people for violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.
The accused were identified as Mohammed Zeeshan Ahmed (31), the owner, D Mahendar (29), the manager, and Syed Moinuddin (24), an employee of the cafe.
In a press release, the police said that the accused were not maintaining a person to constantly check ID proofs to ensure that no minors are admitted. They also said that there was no signage to differentiate between smoking and no-smoking zones.
Stating that more than 30% of the floor space was a smoking area, the police said that it did not have an airflow system, and food and beverages were also sold in the area.
The raid was conducted on a tip-off, and the police seized 33 hookahs, 17 hookah flavour boxes, 40 hookah pipes, six walkie-talkies and Rs 8,890 in cash.
“In May 2017, a case was registered against the management of above said Hyderabad Times Cafe for the same violations,” the police said.
In August last year, the Hyderabad police issued a strict warning to coffee shops in the city, and said that they would take strict action against those who served hookah.
"According to the latest rules from the Centre, no tobacco products can be consumed in public places, and this rule applies to hookah too. Some people are trying to mislead the shop owners by manipulating what the order means, but I'm making it clear that it is illegal," then city police commissioner Mahender Reddy told reporters.
The police also cleared the air that hookah was not banned, and people could consume it privately. However, serving it was banned, as it would come under the category of a 'public place'.