Nagpur: In a joint operation, the Nagpur Crime Branch’s Anti-Land Mafia Squad, along with Khaparkheda and Koradi Police, busted an illegal hookah parlour operating at Hotel Behind The Lakein Dahegaon near Nagpur and booked its manager for allegedly serving prohibited tobacco-based hookah products to customers.

The raid was conducted between 11:55 pm on July 9 and 5:00 am on July 10, 2026, following specific intelligence received by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Shivprasad Parwethat an unauthorised hookah parlour was being run from the hotel.

After verifying the information, two police teams raided the premises and found hotel manager Sohel Kamruddin Ansari (26), a resident of Valni in Saoner taluka, allegedly providing prohibited tobacco hookah products to 19 customers. Police said the accused was operating the hookah parlour without any licence for financial gain.

During the operation, police seized hookah equipment, hookah pots, flavoured tobacco and other materials collectively valued at ₹38,000.

A case has been registered against the accused at Khaparkheda Police Station under Section 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, as amended by the Maharashtra Amendment Act, 2018, including Sections 4, 6, 7, 20, 21 and 24.

The accused, along with the seized material, has been handed over to Khaparkheda Police for further legal action. Further investigation is underway.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajendra Dabhade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Deepak Agrawal, and ACP (Crime Branch) Shivprasad Parwe, by a joint team of the Crime Branch’s Anti-Land Mafia Squad, Khaparkheda Police and Koradi Police.