Hyderabad cops raid hookah parlours; 11 booked

HYDERABAD: Police raided hookah parlours at Chandrayangutta in the wee hours of Sunday and booked cases against 11 parlour owners for violating norms.

Cops raided localities around Barkas between 12.30 am and 4 am conducting searches in houses and commercial establishments. They booked cases against Omer Affari, owner of Yaba hookah parlour attached with a swimming pool, Saleh Bintriff, owner of Kings hookah-cum-snooker parlour, Abdul Rehman Emani, owner of Price hookah parlour, Ahmed Nahdi, owner of Al Nahdi hookah parlourattached with mandi serving facility and a swing pool, Osman Sharabi, owner of Crown hookah parlour, Aqeel Khan, owner of Allauddin hookah-cum-snooker parlour, Ahmed Gulmi, owner of Gulmi hookah parlour, Ali Zumbli, owner of Friends hookah parlour, Abood Affari, owner of Real Arabian hookah parlour, Ahmed Saggaf, owner of Nimra hookah parlour and Zubair, owner of E-20 hookah parlour.

"The proprietors of Yaba & Al Nahdi hookah centres allowed customers to use the swimming pool during late night hours who were swimming for bets. Betting is also rampant at snooker parlours," DCP, South Zone, V Satyanarayana, said.

Police also conducted searches at horse stables in Chandrayangutta and seized eight horses. "We have received several complaints from locals alleging that people were riding horses at high speed deliberately next to women creating panic in the locality. We have no objection if the horses are used in 'baarat', but certain people are using them to harass women. We have seized the horses and called their owners for counseling to tell them not to give horses to the youth to ride on city roads," the DCP said.

The eight seized horses have been kept at a function hall in ChandrayanguttaDuring the raids at hookah parlours, police rounded up 230 youngsters and they were all let off after counselling them in the presence of their family members. He has issued charge memos to Chandrayangutta inspector and additional inspector by not being able to curtail the illegal hookah parlour business in their jurisdiction.