Sola police raid illegal hookah bar in Ahmedabad, two held

The Sola High Court police raided an illegal hookah bar operating from a café in the Chharodi area and seized hookah-related materials worth ₹10,080, officials said on Tuesday.

Police said two persons were booked under provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, for allegedly serving nicotine-based hookah products to customers.

The raid was conducted on March 22 under the supervision of Sola High Court Police Inspector K N Bhukan. His team was patrolling the area when they received specific information that an establishment identified as ‘The Obsidian Cafe’, located opposite Aristo Club near Sola-Chharodi, was allegedly operating a hookah bar illegally.

Police said the tip-off suggested that customers were being served hookahs containing nicotine-flavoured tobacco instead of permitted herbal flavours.

Acting on the information, the police team, accompanied by independent witnesses, raided the premises and allegedly found hookah equipment and flavoured tobacco products being used at the café.

During the operation, police detained Mayank Nankubhai Goraviyala, 25, a resident of Shastrinagar Quarters in Naranpura, who was present at the café at the time of the raid. During questioning, he allegedly informed police that the café was being operated in partnership with Rohit Mangilal Mahawar, 29, a resident of ONGC Colony near Sabarmati.

Police said the seized items included 12 hookah sets valued at ₹9,600, four sealed flavour packets worth ₹480 and eight plastic containers filled with hookah flavouring substances.

A case has been registered at Sola High Court Police Station under Sections of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.