Sarkhej police have booked two men for running an illegal hookah bar in Makarba and serving nicotine-laced flavours in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.
According to a media report,The accused have been identified as Divyarajsinh Lalsinh Chavda (22) of Gandhinagar and Abdul Hamid (28) of Assam, residing in Sarkhej. Police said the duo operated the outlet under the name New Roast Café near Shri Ram Morts in Sarkhej-Makarba.
Acting on a tip-off, a police surveillance team raided the café on May 24 and found several customers smoking hookahs. The manager failed to provide any licence to run the establishment. Officers seized multiple hookahs, pipes, charcoal and sealed packets of flavoured tobacco. Forensic tests later confirmed the presence of nicotine in the samples.
According to the police, customers were charged around ₹700 per hookah session, with nicotine-based flavours being served under the guise of herbal mixes. Following the FSL report, Sarkhej police registered an FIR on August 29 under relevant provisions of COTPA.
Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the café’s operations.