E-Paper
Four held for serving hookah in Ludhiana
Joint commissioner of police (JCP) Saumya Mishra said that the police received information that the accused were serving hookahs and selling e-cigarettes among the youth and teenagers
Cracking a whip against those serving hookahs, including teenagers, the police conducted a raid at a pan shop at Sat Paul Mittal Road and arrested four persons.
However, one of the accused managed to escape.
Joint commissioner of police (JCP) Saumya Mishra said that the police received information that the accused were serving hookahs and selling e-cigarettes among the youth and teenagers.
The police formed a team and conducted a raid on the Chaurasia pan shop at Malhar Road. The police recovered 11 e-cigarettes, 19 hookah chilams, 25 hookah pipes, 45 bottles of hookah oil and 261 packs of hookah flavours from their possession.
The JCP said that the accused used some chemical in the hookah in the name of flavours, which is equally harmful as tobacco. Moreover, they were serving hookah among teenagers, Mishra said.
An FIR under sections 188 of IPC, 6, 7, 20, 24 of Tobacco Act 2003, sections 4 and 5 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarette Act 2019. A hunt is on for the arrest of the rest of the accused.
Earlier on July 24, the Model Town police had arrested a pan shop owner for selling and serving flavoured hookahs among minors.
The arrested accused was identified as Deepak Kumar of Azad Nagar, who runs a pan shop near old Krishna Temple in Model Town. The police had recovered three electronic hookahs from his possession.
The commissioner of police has already extended the ban on serving hookah for two months. The commissioner of police said that it had come to his notice that illegal hookah bars were operating in the city, where hookahs containing tobacco, chemicals were being served. In the order, the commissioner of police stated that any hotel, bar, or parlour found serving hookahs will be dealt with strictly, and cases will be registered against the owners.
