Hookah Bars Raided in Berhampur; 7 Criminal Cases Registered against Owners

Berhampur: The Berhampur Police has raided hookah bars running at different hotels and restaurants in the city.

The police has seized 47 hookah pots with stands, tobacco and other smoking items from seven hotels.

As many seven criminal cases have been registered against owners.

Recently, a lot of complaints were received from concerned parents and citizens that illegal hookah bars have started to operate in Berhampur where minors are being supplied with hookah smoking where tobacco and other illegal smoking agents are used. On March 20, Berhampur Police team conducted simultaneous raids at the hookah bars running at different hotels and restaurants by five teams, informed Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M.

SDPO Town, IIC Berhampur Town PS, IIC Gosaninugaon PS, IIC Bada Bazar PS and IIC BN Pur PS with the officers of the respective police stations conducted the raids, the Berhampur SP said.

During raids the general public including few minors were found smoking hookah in these bars.

On further verification, it is found that the packets of prohibited tobacco products and other chemicals including charcoal which were added in hookah instrument with fire for smoking. On demand by the raiding parties, the owners of these restaurants – cum- hookah bars failed to produce any authority or license in support of running the hookah bar and selling of tabaco products in the hookah Bar, which is a public place.

These tabaco products are injurious to Human Health and dangerous chemicals are added to this tabaco products to make it flavourable and to increase intoxication to humans. These type of chemicals are noxious to the health of general public and cause cancer including lung cancer.

In order to prevent the hookah bar from further sale of this dangerous product to general public and minors, the equipment for running i.e hookah pots with stands, other ingredients, chemicals including charcoal and tabaco product packets, are seized, the Berhampur SP stated.

Seven criminal cases have been registered at BN Pur PS, Town PS and at Bada Bazar PS under different sections of BNS and with the penal provisions of The Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of advertisement and Regulation of Trade and commerce, Production Supply and distribution) Act.