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Panchkula cop shifted to police lines for inaction against hookah bars
As per the statement issued by the department, police commissioner Siwas Kabiraj on Monday transferred Sector 5 police station in-charge inspector Ajit Singh to police lines, Panchkula.
For failing to check hookah bars operating in his jurisdiction, the SHO of Panchkula’s Sector 5 police station was sent to police lines.
As per the statement issued by the department, police commissioner Siwas Kabiraj on Monday transferred Sector 5 police station SHO inspector Ajit Singh to police lines, Panchkula.
The statement further said that inspector Rupesh Chaudhary was appointed the new station house officer (SHO) of Sector 5, Panchkula. The police spokesperson said that as per the orders issued under Section 144, bars, restaurants and clubs in Panchkula are banned from serving hookah from October 4 to December 2, 2023.
The order said that if anyone is found violating the orders, strict action will be taken against them.
The order comes about 10 days after the local court had granted interim relief to city restaurant owners serving herbal hookahs (those without nicotine) who had moved the court alleging harassment under the garb of a “ban”, seeking directions to restrain police and administration from interfering in their service.
The court of additional civil judge (senior division), Aparna Bhardwaj, has “restrained the defendants (police and district administration) from preventing plaintiffs (restaurants) carrying out their legal business.”
The petitioners alleged that police and other officials of the district raided their restaurants claiming violation of Section 144 CrPC by serving flavoured hookahs, including tobacco molasses containing nicotine.
“We are with the administration and have stopped serving hookahs. But soon, we shall be moving court challenging the latest orders issued under Section 144 CrPC in which the authorities have banned herbal hookahs (without nicotine) as well,” said Restaurant Owners Association president Amit Verma.
