FIR against 3 hookah bar joints in Delhi, 103 arrested

New Delhi: The police have registered FIRs against three hukkah bar joints in north west Delhi’s Rohini which were found operational in violation of COVID-19 norms, officials said on Tuesday.

The police also arrested 103 people, including staff and managers of these joints, during a raid.

The hukkah bars were being run illegally in Sector-8, Rohini. None of these had valid licenses. The owners used to organise parties and serve liquor without any license. These joints had also employed some juveniles and did not maintain social distancing, police said.

“We received an information regarding illegal hukkah bar joints being run in the area of Sector-8, Rohini inspite of the lockdown being enforced in view of COVID-19 pandemic. After we identified the places, our staff conducted a recce of these places secretly and subsequently, raids were conducted at the three identified hukkah bar joints,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) P K Mishra said.

A total of 103 people, including owners, managers and other staff of these illegal joints, were arrested on Monday, he said, adding that 41 hukkah along with 17 bottles of illegal liquor were recovered.

Separate FIRs have been registered against the three hukkah bar joints under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections, police said.