Ghaziabad : Police arrested four people from two different restaurants for running illegal hookah bars in the city on Sunday. The hookah bars were sealed and cops seized a total of 17 hookahs from the two spots. Additionally, four police officers – including two sub-inspectors – were suspended for negligence.




DCP (trans-Hindon) Rijul conducted checks at 10 establishments across Indirapuram, Kaushambi and Sahibabad after having received several complaints from residents regarding hookah bars operating in the area despite bans.




In Sept this year, Allahabad High Court banned hookah bars and the service of hookah in restaurants, cafes and public places across Uttar Pradesh .




During these checks, The Public House in Kaushambi’s Angel Mall was found to be serving hookah to customers. Police arrested three men, Tanmay, Karan and Bharat Singh, from the spot and seized five hookahs with chillum, five pipes and two flavoured tobacco packets.




An FIR has been registered against the three accused under relevant sections of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 at Kaushambi police station. Teams have also been formed to trace and arrest the restaurant’s operator Rehan Alam, the DCP said.




The DCP, along with a team from Sahibabad police station, also conducted checks at Yarana Bar and Restaurant on the basis of a tip-off and arrested the manager, Harsh Chaudhary. Cops seized 12 hookahs with chillam and other materials from the spot.




An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 at Sahibabad police station and teams have been formed to nab Sandeep Chaudhary and Yogi, operators of the bar.




According to the DCP, Kaushambi chowki in-charge Yogesh Kumar and beat police officer, head constable Arvind, were suspended for negligence. Shyam Park chowki in-charge Sumit Upadhyay and beat officer, head constable Sunil Manohar, from Sahibabad were similarly suspended. A departmental enquiry has also been initiated against them.