Cafe-cum-bar owner & manager held in Delhi for serving hookah, flouting Covid norms

The owner and manager of a cafe-cum-bar in southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar were arrested for allegedly serving hookah to customers and violating COVID-19 guidelines, police said on Monday.

Cafe owner Robin and manager Aditya Sukhram Chaudhary were arrested in the case. Thirteen hookahs and 32 receipts of the same served to the customers were seized by the police.

Police said the arrests were made on Saturday when a police team of Lajpat Nagar was on patrolling duty and conducted surprise checking at Underpass Cafe Courtyard under the Defence Colony flyover here.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Esha Pandey said, "When our team reached the spot, they found the bar members serving hookah to customers. No social distancing was maintained and no Covid guidelines were being followed. During checking, 13 hookahs were seized from the cafe." Robin (32) and Aditya Sukhram Chaudhary (40), both residents of Sarita Vihar, were arrested, she said.

A case was registered against the two under sections IPC sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease danger­ous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease danger­ous to life) 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the officer added.

The Delhi government had last year banned the use of hookahs, with or without tobacco, in all public places, including hotels, restaurants and bars, with immediate effect to control the spread of COVID-19.