Nagpur: What began as a routine crackdown on illegal hookah cafes under Nagpur Police’s ‘Operation Thunder’ soon exposed a far more disturbing and dangerous reality unfolding in the heart of Gokulpeth. Thick toxic smoke, panic-stricken customers trapped inside sealed rooms, blocked exits and desperate rescue efforts by police and Fire Brigade teams painted a chilling picture of how these so-called lounges were allegedly functioning like potential death traps under the guise of nightlife entertainment.
In a shocking late-night operation conducted under the jurisdiction of Nagpur City Police and supervised by Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, DCP Zone IV Rashmitha Rao and DCP II Nityanand Jha, police teams raided three hookah establishments, Soro Cafe, Nimbus Lounge and Hash Café, only to discover dozens of people allegedly confined inside smoke-choked premises with limited or blocked escape routes.
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May 11- 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
The raids revealed what officers described as a reckless disregard for human safety. According to police, a total of 84 persons, including customers, staff and cafe operators, were found packed inside the three establishments where hookah was allegedly being served illegally despite the severe risk posed by the enclosed and heavily smoke-filled environment.
At Soro Cafe, police allegedly found 29 persons sitting inside tightly enclosed rooms engulfed in dense smoke. Hookah pots, flavoured tobacco products and related materials were seized during the search. Officers claimed the atmosphere inside had become suffocating, raising serious questions over ventilation, fire preparedness and emergency evacuation arrangements.
However, the situation at Nimbus Lounge reportedly exposed an even more alarming scenario. Police alleged that 41 persons had remained inside the premises for hours while exits were allegedly restricted and hookah service continued uninterrupted. As panic spread inside the smoke-filled lounge, police called in Fire Brigade teams fearing a possible stampede, suffocation incident or fire emergency. Rescue teams were ultimately forced to break open the entrance to evacuate those trapped inside.
Investigators suspect that the operators may have deliberately controlled entry and exit points to avoid detection during late-night operations, a practice that could have turned catastrophic had a fire broken out inside the packed premises.
At Hash Cafe, the operation took an even more disturbing turn when police allegedly found the establishment locked from outside while 14 persons remained trapped within. Fire Brigade personnel had to forcibly break open the entrance to rescue all occupants. Officials said the situation could have spiralled into a major tragedy had the rescue been delayed even briefly.
“People inside some cafes were unable to come out due to restricted exits. In smoke-filled conditions, immediate evacuation became necessary,” a senior police officer stated, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The incident has once again exposed the growing menace of illegal hookah cafes allegedly operating in blatant violation of safety norms, tobacco laws and licensing regulations in Nagpur. Questions are now being raised over how such establishments continued to function despite repeated crackdowns and whether local monitoring mechanisms failed to detect glaring safety violations.
Police have registered offences under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the Maharashtra Police Act. Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether additional charges related to public safety violations and wrongful confinement may also be invoked.
