Mira-Bhayandar: The Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police raided an eatery located in the Dongri area of Uttan, which was found to be selling alcohol and also serving hookah in an illegal manner to soliciting customers on Friday.
About The Raid
Acting on a tip-off about hookah and liquor being illegally stocked, sold, and served at Hotel Karma, a night patrolling unit from the Uttan coastal police station swooped down on the establishment at around 1:45 am. Apart from selling and allowing consumption of liquor and beer without excise licenses, the hotel, which projects itself as an eatery lawn, was also found to be serving hookah to patrons, police said.
While two people including the manager- Aquino Mendonca (29) and waiter-Tahirul Bhurbhuyan (19) were taken into custody and booked under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act and relevant sections of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution Act) – (COPTA), 2003. However, the owner of the establishment has yet to be arrested.
Several food joints in the Uttan-Gorai belt have not only transformed into watering holes sans mandated excise licenses, but are brazenly serving tobacco-laced hookah to patrons, especially youngsters.
