Illegal hookah bar raided in Ahmedabad

A police team of deputy commissioner of police (zone-1) on Saturday evening raided the hookah bar named, Midnight, located near Hometown Mall in Thaltej, and caught more than 10 minors smoking hookah. The detained minors were allegedly 'let off' as many of them were reported to be children of some city’s influential people. Sources said the bar had earlier been sealed by the AMC for violation of norms and was being run illegally.

Police said they had received complaints from local people about the bar being run illegally. 

The Sola police are once again under the scanner as the bar is located in an area under their jurisdiction. It is to be noted that last year, a PI at the Sola police station was suspended after a gambling den was raided by a Zone-1 police team.

"I had received complaints about the bar being run illegally," Rajiv Ranjan Bhagat, DCP, Zone-1, told DNA. "AMC had sealed it; yet it was being run illegally. That's why we raided the den." The Sola police inspector, KD Bhatt, said he was aware of the raid but had no concrete information. Local sources alleged that Sola police knew about the bar but had taken no action. Sources said that the hookah bar was allegedly being run in the name of one Samir Pandey but the actual owner was someone else. Pandey has been detained.