First time in City , Berhampur Police Conducted raids at the Hooka Bars

Hookah Pots, Tobacco & other smoking items seized. 7 criminal cases registered against owners

Berhampur : Bureau Odishabarta : Recently lot of complaints were received from concerned parents and citizens that illegal hookah bars have started to operate in Berhampur where minors are being supplied with Hookah smoking where Tobacco and other illegal smoking agents are used. On 20.03.2025 Berhampur Police team conducted simultaneous raids at the Hooka Bars running at different hotels/restaurants by five teams. SDPO Town, IIC Berhampur Town PS, IIC Gosaninugaon PS, IIC Bada Bazar PS and IIC BN Pur PS with the officers of the respective police stations conducted the raids.

The hotels noted below were running Hookah Bars and during raids the general public including few minors were found smoking Hookah in these Hookah bars.
On further verification, it is found that the packets of prohibited Tobacco products and other chemicals including Charcoal which were added in Hookah instrument with Fire for smoking. On demand by the raiding parties, the owners of these restaurants – cum- Hookah Bars failed to produce any authority or license in support of running the Hookah Bar and selling of Tabaco products in the Hooka Bar, which is a public place.
These tabaco products are injurious to Human Health and dangerous chemicals are added to this Tabaco products to make it flavourable and to increase intoxication to humans. These type of chemicals are noxious to the health of general public and cause cancer including lung cancer.

In order to prevent the Hookah Bar from further sale of this dangerous product to general public and minors, the equipment for running i.e Hookah pots with stands, other ingredients, chemicals including Charcoal and Tabaco product packets, are seized.
Seven (07) criminal cases have been registered at BN Pur PS, Town PS and at Bada Bazar PS under different sections of BNS and with the penal provisions of The Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of advertisement and Regulation of Trade and commerce, Production Supply and distribution) Act.