Crackdown on Illegal Hookah Parlours in Navi Mumbai

Authorities in Navi Mumbai shut down three hookah parlours valued at Rs 1.5 crore and booked two individuals for operating the illegal businesses. The establishments were found in violation of local regulations following a tip-off and were sealed during a police raid.

In a concerted effort to enforce Maharashtra's ban on hookahs, Navi Mumbai police conducted a crackdown on illegal parlours, sealing three shops with a combined worth of Rs 1.5 crore, as confirmed by an official on Friday.

The operation followed a tip-off about a cafe in Khoprakhairane offering hookahs to customers. Subsequent investigations uncovered that three shops were being used for the unauthorized activity, prompting police action.

Senior Inspector Audumbar Patil from Khoprakhairane police station reported that two individuals, Hemant Pandit and Nada Abdul Majid Zumani, were charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act. The shops were sealed under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

(With inputs from agencies.)