Section 144 exercised to ban hookah bars in Gurgaon

The move came with a view to making the city nicotine free.

The district administration on Monday enforced Section 144 of the CrPC to ban hookah bars in the city.

Even though hookah bars in Haryana were banned in 2010 in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2007, a number of them are still operational in the city, the district administration claimed. (HT Photo)

This move came with a view to making the city nicotine-free. The ban came into effect on an order by deputy commissioner Hardeep Singh. According to the order, the molasses served in hookah bars contain nicotine, which is harmful for health. The order also stated that these hookah bars are functioning illegally without any licence to operate in the city.

On January 20, the manager and worker of a hookah bar at Sector 14 market was sentenced to three-year imprisonment by a city court under the Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1940. It was the first ever conviction under the act in the state.

Earlier, in a joint operation in September last year, the Food & Drugs Administration officials and Gurgaon Police raided a hookah bar in Sector 23, Palam Vihar. During the raid, nine hookahs and more than 10 kg of flavoured hookah molasses containing nicotine were recovered.

Even though hookah bars in Haryana were banned in 2010 in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2007, a number of them are still operational in the city, the district administration claimed.

In March 2012, as many as seven hookah bars were raided in the city after the district administration invoked Section 144. The excise department also raided a bar in 2013 during which more than 100 students from reputed schools were caught .