The State Monitoring Cell (SMC) raided Cheris Cafe near Jhundal Garnala in Ahmedabad on October 29 and busted an alleged illegal hookah bar operating with nicotine-based products.
The raid was conducted following a tip-off that the cafe operators were inviting customers and providing hookahs containing nicotine instead of herbal flavours to earn illegal profits.The action has also raised questions about the functioning of the local Chandkheda police.
Allegations have surfaced that the illegal business was being operated with the involvement of four local administrators, reportedly without the knowledge of the Police Inspector (PI). There are also claims of a retired policeman being involved.
The raid has triggered questions about whether local police were aware of the illegal activities and why action was not taken earlier.During the raid, cafe owner Abdul Hameed Sheikh, a resident of Panna Residency in Sarkhej, and four employees originally from Assam were found at the premises.
They were identified as Rizwan Ali, Ainul Islam, Dilwar Hussain and Majid Alam.The SMC team seized 10 hookahs worth Rs 15,000, 43 pipes worth Rs 2,150, 28 additional hookahs worth Rs 42,000, 90 chillums worth Rs 900, one foil roll and 2 kg of coal.
The total value of the seized items was estimated at Rs 62,100.A case has been registered at Chandkheda police station under FIR No. 172/2026, and further legal proceedings have been initiated.