Hookah bars raided in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Intensifying crackdowns on hookah bars, Police raided five such joints in the city Friday night.

Police seized several tobacco flavours and prohibited hookahs from the spot.

Police sources said, owners of the joints are also being asked to produce documents such as trade licence and fire safety certificates.

Commissionerate Police had conducted raid on a hookah bar at Nayapalli in Bhubaneswar for running illegally and using banned tobacco products last month. Hookahs and banned tobacco products containing nicotine were seized during the raid.

As part of the drive that started in November last year raids were conducted on several Hookah bars at Saheed Nagar, Chandrasekharpur and Infocity area in Bhubaneswar under violation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.

In January, Commissionerate Police raided various hookah bars in Infocity, Saheed Nagar and Kharvel Nagar areas and penalized the management for using banned products in form of flavoured substance.