Mira-Bhayandar: Illegally operating hookah joints in the twin-city are not only destroying the future of people-especially from the younger generation by serving nicotine and hookah-laced products, but are also endangering their lives by recklessly handling combustible material sans any type of fire safety measures.
One such hookah den which was operating near a college in Kashimira was raided by the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) on Friday. Acting on a tip-off, about use of tobacco-laced hookah being served at 1993-The Container Kitchen- a restaurant located near the Royal College in Kashimira, the AHTU personnel raided the establishment at around 3.20 am.
While hookah pipes, pots and tobacco-laced smoking material worth more than Rs 19,000 was seized from the spot, seven staffers including the manager, cashier and waiters were arrested and booked under sections 287 (negligent conduct involving fire or combustible materials) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
This apart from slapping other relevant sections of the IPC and and Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution Act) - (COPTA), 2003.
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Eleven soliciting customers including 7 women were also taken into custody from the joint which was found to be operating till the wee hours. It may be recalled that a preliminary investigation report conducted by the Mumbai Fire Brigade into the deadly inferno that engulfed two posh restaurants at Kamala Mills compound had concluded that the hookah charcoal was the source of the massive blaze that snuffed out 14 lives in December-2017.
However, scores of joints continue to operate in the twin-city under the garb of serving herbal tobacco-free hookah by obtaining licenses under the shops and establishment act and without following any regulations, even as the civic authorities continue to turn a blind eye to the illegal activities.
