E-Paper
Ludhiana: Pan shops raided; two held for serving hookahs
Ludhiana police also recovered as many as 75 e-cigarettes, 4 hookahs, 1 cole box and 6 hookah pipes from the pan shops
Cracking a whip against those serving hookahs in the city, police on Friday conducted raids at two pan shops in Sarabha Nagar and arrested the their owners.
Police also recovered as many as 75 e-cigarettes, 4 hookahs, 1 cole box and 6 hookah pipes from the shops.
The police lodged two separate FIRs against the accused identified as Ram Chaurasia of Haibowal and Hari Chand of Mohalla Gobind Nagar at Ferozepur Road.
Sub-inspector Amarinder Singh, SHO at police station Sarabha Nagar, said that raids were conducted following a tip-off that the accused were serving hookahs to their customers, including teenagers, and selling e-cigarettes. The police formed two teams and conducted the raids.
The sub-inspector added that two FIRs under sections 188 of the IPC, 6, 7, 20, 24 of Tobacco Act 2003, section 21-A of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act 2018 and sections 7 and 8 of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarette Act 2019 have been filed against the accused.
The SHO added that the accused use some chemical in the hookah in the name of flavours, which is equally harmful as tobacco.
Joint commissioner of police (JCP) Saumya Mishra had extended the ban on serving hookah for two months on Wednesday. She said that it had come to her notice that illegal hookah bars were operating in the city, where hookahs containing tobacco, chemicals were being served.
In the order, the JCP stated that any hotel, bar, or parlour found serving hookahs will be dealt with strictly, and cases will be registered against the owners.
