The Kasturba Marg police and social service branch raided a hookah bar on June 15 in Kandivali (east), from where they arrested a few students who were later released.
The Kasturba Marg police and social service branch raided a hookah bar on June 15 in Kandivali (east), from where they arrested a few students who were later released. However, on a repeat raid to the same hookah bar on June 16, the police found the parlour working without a hitch. The manager and the owner of the bar were arrested and were produced in court while 29 customers (mainly college and school students) faced legal actions.
According to the sources, cops also rescued a minor boy of 17 years who was serving in the parlour as a waiter.
A case was registered against the accused under Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act (COPTA) and Juvenile justice act. While further investigation is on, officials are checking where the parlour was making all the purchase.
The arrested accused have been identified as Kartik Sanjay Parmar, Roshan Javed Shaikh and owner of the parlour, Piyush Jain. The hookah parlour have been identified as Fog It Up, on the eighth floor of Annex mall in Kandivali (east). The police was tipped off about the parlour that they are not following the smoking zone regulations as well as kept a minor as a worker. Acting up on the tip, the police raided it on June 15. They found various flavours of hookah and tobacco at the place. On June 16 the police came to know that the parlour has resumed its operation, following which a second raid was conducted. During the raid the police said it seized Rs 14,000 and tobacco.
