Ludhiana restaurant owner, manager held for serving hookahs to minors

A month after police conducted a raid on a restaurant and bar on the South City Road, police on Thursday arrested its owner and manager for allegedly serving hookahs and liquor to customers, including minors, during a party.

The police conducted the raid during the party and recovered 4 hookahs and 4 flavours from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Ankur Kumar of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, who is the owner of the restaurant Le Antre and manager Salamat Ali alias Ali of Jagraon. It is the second raid at the restaurant in the past one month.

Shubham Aggarwal, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, city 1), said that the previous police raid proved as no deterrent for the accused and they were involved in serving hookahs and liquor among customers, including minors.

The ADCP said that the police received information that some students aged between 16 and 19 organised a party at the restaurant and the accused were serving hookahs and liquor among customers, which is against the orders of the commissioner of police.

He said that a case under sections 188 of the IPC, section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, sections 6, 7, 20 and 24 of the Tobacco Act, section 21 of Cigarettes and other Tobacco products act (COTPA) has been lodged against the accused at Police station PAU.

Earlier on February 10, the police had conducted a raid at the restaurant and bar. The police had arrested the manager and assistant manager of the restaurant. The police had recovered three hookahs and three flavours from the restaurant at that time.