The Ahmedabad Police have busted an illegal hookah bar operating out of Rozana Cafe in the city's Sarkhej area, seizing nicotine-based hookah flavours and equipment valued at ₹66,855. The raid, conducted on 3 July, is part of a broader crackdown on unlawful activities ahead of the forthcoming Rath Yatra, according to officials.

How the Raid Unfolded

A patrol team led by Police Sub-Inspector K.B. Chaudhary, accompanied by constables Dilipbhai Karamshibhai, Bharatbhai Mahipatbhai, and Pankajbhai Dulabhai, received a tip-off that the cafe, located off HP Ring Road in Gheljipura, was allegedly serving customers hookahs laced with nicotine-based tobacco flavours rather than the legally permissible herbal alternatives.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of the city police commissioner, senior officers of Sector-1, Zone-7, and the 'M' Division, and under the direct supervision of Police Inspector L.L. Chavda of Sarkhej Police Station.

What Was Seized

On raiding the premises, police found cafe owner Praful Bharwad, 44, a resident of Vastrapur, at the site and initiated legal proceedings. The seized material included 33 containers and packets of nicotine-based hookah flavours — among them Afzal DBI, Afzal Pan Ras, Afzal Chief Commissioner, Al Fakher Lemon, and Al Fakher Orange.

Police also confiscated 13 glass hookahs, 210 plastic filter pipes, 13 hookah hoses, charcoal-burning equipment, an iron scoop, steel tongs, aluminium foil, and a QR code used at the establishment. The total value of seized property was estimated at ₹66,855.

Part of a Wider Crackdown in Ahmedabad

This action is not an isolated incident. Earlier, police raided an illegal hookah bar at Bru Roast Cafe on SG Highway in Ahmedabad, seizing nicotine-based hookah products and equipment worth ₹35,809. In a separate case, the city Crime Branch raided Big Daddy Cafe in the Bopal area, seizing nicotine-flavoured hookah products and initiating action against those running the establishment.

Notably, all three operations share a common pattern: cafes operating as legitimate food-and-beverage establishments while allegedly running hookah services with prohibited nicotine-based products.

Rath Yatra Security Context

Officials stated that the Sarkhej crackdown forms part of an ongoing campaign to curb illegal activities within the Sarkhej Police Station limits, with heightened vigilance specifically tied to security arrangements for the upcoming Rath Yatra. The festival draws large crowds and typically prompts intensified law-enforcement drives across Gujarat.

With multiple hookah bar raids now on record across Ahmedabad in quick succession, further action in other parts of the city is expected as the festival approaches.