Hawk eye on hookah, dance bars

Mumbai police is tightening its noose on hookah parlours and dance bars in the city. This year also, they have raided 50 hookah bars and 12 dance bars subsequently shutting them down. An official from Social Service Branch (SSB) of the Enforcement wing of the Mumbai police who conducted these raids said that hookah parlours are illegal, yet several function under the guise of a normal restaurant or bar.

On June 3, the SSB branch raided three hookah parlours in the city. “We raided Lavender Lounge in Bandra, Coal Please in Powai and at one more place in Andheri. Nearly 10 pots and flavours were seized from these places,” said an officer.

Senior SSB officials inform that till date more than 300 people have been booked under the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COPTA) Act. “Those arrested include managers, owners and waiters too. Most of these places have the rich and young as their clientele whom we generally let go with a warning,” he further added.

As the Supreme Court has directed the State to issue licenses to bars, the Mumbai police have started coming down hard upon them. Since April this year, 12 bars have been been booked under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women Act, 2016.

The raids have led to rescuing of 100 women working such bars. Pink Plaza, Andheri, Nanda Deep in Mulund, S 54 in Santacruz, Samudra in Nagpada, Top Star in Borivali are some of the bars that were recently raided.

“These dance bars don’t have proper licenses, which they need to acquire under the new act. They also have to follow certain provisions and rules laid down under the same, which they fail to do,” said an officer.

The arrested have been booked under section 3 and 8 (including sub sections) of the new act, according to which, the punishment can ranges from a fine of upto Rs 25 lakhs to five years of imprisonment.