19 booked for smoking hookah in Khar

Nineteen hookah smokers and four staff members of a hookah parlour were booked following raid by the city police at a restaurant in suburban Khar, police said today.

A television actress was also found sitting in the restaurant at the time of raid but she was allowed to go without any fine as she was not smoking hookah, police said refusing to divulge her name.

On the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, the social service branch of city police conducted raid on the Kosmic Restrobar Hukka Parlour where 17 men and two women were found smoking hookah.

All the patrons were rounded up and taken to the Khar police station along with the parlour staff. They were subsequently booked under relevant sections of the Tobacco Act and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Act.

While the patrons were allowed to leave after paying fine of Rs200, the manager and other staff members of the parlour were released on a personal bond of Rs1200 each.