Pune: Police Raid at BBC Rooftop Kitchen & Bar for Running Illegal Hookah Parlour; 57 Youths Found Smoking Hookah at 16 Tables
Pune: Despite a ban on serving hookah in hotels, several establishments continue to run illegal hookah parlours in secret. In a late-night operation at BBC Rooftop Kitchen & Bar, located at Raheja Vista Centre in Mohammadwadi, police were shocked to find 57 young men and women openly enjoying hookah at 16 different tables in a large open hall.
The police arrested 8 individuals, including the hotel owner. Youths from various parts of Pune, including Lohegaon, Vadachi Wadi, Mukundnagar, Sadashiv Peth, Wanwadi, Bibvewadi, Gultekdi, Talegaon Dabhade, Market Yard, Bhavani Peth, Salisbury Park, NIBM Road, and Dhankawadi, were present at the location. Their names and addresses were recorded by the authorities.
Those booked include:
Parth Anil Walhekar (33) – Owner, resident of Kumar Sienna, Sahakarnagar
Deepak Avtar Singh (34) – Manager, resident of Manish Plaza, Mohammadwadi
Ahmed Raza Khan (30)
Ajay Ramsingh Janala (20)
Karansingh Damarsing Thapa (27)
Sheetal Gangaram Bohra (27)
Keshav Deepak Chaulagai (21)
Deepak Prem Bahadur Singh (36)
Police confiscated hookah-related material worth ₹82,099, including tobacco-based hookah flavors, hookah pots, clay chillums, smoking pipes, wooden charcoal, and other accessories.
The raid was conducted based on a complaint filed by Police Constable Amit Dattatray Kamble from Crime Branch Unit 5 at Kale Padal Police Station. On May 17, during a combing operation, a team led by Senior PI Wahid Pathan and API Madan Kamble, along with constables Shubhangi Malsekar, Rishikesh Takwane, and Akbar Shaikh, received intel about an ongoing illegal hookah parlour.
They coordinated with API Pravin Abdagire from Kale Padal Police Station and conducted a midnight raid at BBC Rooftop. Upon inspection, 16 tables were set up in the rooftop’s open hall, with 57 youths being served hookah by 5 employees.
Police seized: 27 glass hookah pots, 32 clay chillums, 32 smoking pipes, Wooden charcoal, Multiple containers of flavored tobacco
The investigation is currently being led by Assistant Police Inspector Pravin Abdagire.
