₹10,500 Worth of Prohibited Flavoured Tobacco and Hookah Equipment Seized at Gondkhairi on Nagpur-Amravati Highway
NAGPUR: The Local Crime Branch of Nagpur Rural Police raided an alleged illegal hookah parlour operating at Atmosphere Hotel in Gondkhairi along the Nagpur-Amravati Highway on October 18. Two persons were arrested during the operation, and prohibited flavoured tobacco and hookah-smoking equipment worth ₹10,500 were seized.
The arrested accused have been identified as Anshuman Daniel Topno (42), a resident of Hill Top, Nagpur, and David John Phillips (34), a resident of Jaripatka.
According to police, a team from the Local Crime Branch was patrolling the Saoner subdivision when an informant tipped them off about a hookah parlour allegedly operating at Atmosphere Hotel in Gondkhairi. Acting on the information, the team raided the premises, which fall under the jurisdiction of Kalmeshwar Police Station.
During the raid, police allegedly found flavoured tobacco of various brands prohibited in Maharashtra, along with equipment used for smoking hookah. The seized items were taken into custody in the presence of panch witnesses.
A case has been registered under Sections 4(a) and 21(a) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), as stated in the police account. Both accused have been arrested, and further investigation is underway.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Harsh A. Poddar, Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske and Saoner Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sagar Kharde. The raid was conducted by a team led by Local Crime Branch Police Inspector Ankush Mane.
