Hookah bar in hostel bldg busted, posed a grave threat: cops

BB House runs the hostel out of a two-storied bungalow in Lokhandwala, Andheri West

As part of the inspection of hostels in view of recent rape and murder at a south Mumbai hostel, the city police have busted an illegal hookah parlour, which was operating out of a cafe housed in Andheri bungalow that also has a hostel. Cops caught the staff serving hookah to customers in the packed ground-floor eatery, which is also illegal.

The hostel, which is occupied by three men and seven women, is on the first floor of the bungalow, located on 3rd cross lane at Lokhandwala in Andheri West, said officers from the Social Service Branch of Mumbai police.

Police raided BB House on Saturday night and registered an FIR at Oshiwara police station against the administrator and the manager. Cops let three waiters and nine customers caught consuming hookah go with a warning.

According to the police officers, PSI Anita Kadam received the tip-off about an illegal hookah parlour serving tobacco hookahs to the customer from Cafe Late Night, which is in the bungalow that also houses a hostel for students.

Kadam informed Deputy Commissioner of Police D S Swami of SS branch. A team comprising Kadam, PSI Yogesh Kanherkar, API Balasaheb Kanvade and other cops raided the hostel. The Oshiwara police took into custody the cashier, Hardik Parasar, 30, and administrator Monish Sayyed, 30.

Police also recovered hookah stands, tobacco, shegdi and coal. Parasar told the cops that the owner of the hookah bar is Vikas Khokkher.

Police said the cafe has no ventilation and burning coal and use of hookah pose a serious threat of people's health. They have collected the CCTV footage for probe, and recorded the statement of eight people, including a woman who resides at the hostel.

A police officer said, "This parlour was unsafe for the women residing in the hostel, with customers consuming hookah just a floor below. The hookah was also served with tobacco, which is banned. With burning coal, there are high chances of an unwanted incident."

SS Branch officers said neither the cafe nor the hookah parlour had licence or permission of any kind from the authorities.

Khokkher said, "I gave the ground floor of the bungalow on rent for running canteen for the hostel students. I was not aware that they were running a hookah parlour from there. I will also take action against them."

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No. of customers caught consuming hookah