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Licence of Hyderabad pub cancelled after raid
Hyderabad excise superintendent Srinivasa Rao said the licence of the pub was cancelled for violating the bar and restaurant guidelines.
The Telangana government on Monday cancelled the licence of a pub, Pudding & Mink, located in a five-star hotel in Hyderabad where police busted a party involving consumption narcotics on Sunday.
Hyderabad excise superintendent Srinivasa Rao said the licence of the pub was cancelled for violating the bar and restaurant guidelines. The decision was taken following a high-level meeting with police authorities who had confirmed the seizure of cocaine from the pub during a raid.
After the meeting, enforcement director Sarfaraz Ahmed directed the excise department to cancel the licence. Though the hotel has the permit to supply liquor for 24 hours, the pub was not given permission to run beyond 11 pm, an official said.
Meanwhile, police produced two of the accused - pub manager Mahadaram Anil Kumar and his partner Abishek Vuppala –before the Nampally criminal courts on Monday. The accused were remanded to 14-days judicial custody and shifted to Chanchalguda jail.
Police also included another person – Kiran Raj as accused No 4 in the case. Raj and another partner Arjun Veeramachineni are absconding, the police said, adding that two teams have been constituted to launch a manhunt for them.
The Banjara Hills police booked a case under sections 8(c) 22(b) 29(1) NDPS Act at Banjara Hills police station. “We are investigating into the source of supply of narcotics to the customers in the pub,” the police said.
The police, who had seized 4.64 grams of cocaine, apart from 216 cigarette butts having traces of cocaine and also tissue papers used for the same, believe that those who attended the party might have consumed at least 12 grams of narcotics.
Police filed a petition in the Nampally courts seeking custody of the arrested for questioning to find out further information about supply and consumption of narcotics. The petition is expected to come up for hearing on Tuesday.
