10 Minors among 230 Held as Cops Raid Illegal Hookah Centres in Hyderabad

Action after High Court ruling that prohibits functioning of hookah centres after 11 pm; illegal centres sealed

HYDERABAD:  As many as 230 persons, including 10 minors, who were puffing on hookah at unauthorised hookah centres in Chandrayanagutta police limits in the late hours of Saturday were taken into custody. The hookah centres were sealed for operating illegally without valid licences.

Later, police conducted counselling for the detainees in the presence of their parents and let them off.

In all, 25 police teams participated in the operation which was conducted by cordoning off various localities in Chandrayangutta police limits.“During the search operations, we found that the hookah centres were operating illegally and allowing customers late at night. Around 230 persons were taken into custody. Later, we counselled them in the presence of their parents and let them off.

 Some other youngsters, who were caught at the hookha centres, escaped from our custody,” said deputy commissioner of police V Satyanarayana.

The main intention of the police was to call their parents and conduct counselling in their presence to make them know the late-night activities of their children. The names and addresses of those who escaped were with the police and cases would be registered against them, he said.

The raid followed a recent High Court ruling that hookah centres shall not be kept open beyond 11 pm for its customers and that they must necessarily exhibit sign boards that children aged below 18 years are not liable to be entertained as guests.

HORSE-OWNERS: A similar operation was conducted against owners of horse stables following complaints from teenaged girls that horse-riders were behaving rudely with them while riding on horses on streets at night.

“Police have no objection to horses being hired for wedding baaraat, etc. But  there should not be any nuisance or eve-teasing on the roads. Police counselled the horse-owners not to give their horses to youth for riding,” the DCP said.

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