A group of 60 petitions from hookah facility managers seeking protection from police meddling in their daily operations were heard by the High Court. The petitioners claimed that hookah establishments had complied with all legal requirements, in particular the COTPA (Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act).

The police said that the petitioners failed to identify the kind of tobacco they offer, its specifications, and whether it complies with packaging and labeling laws. They claimed that these establishments encouraged kids to smoke. The State's attorney said that the petitioners wanted general orders against the police and that they went to court to prevent the police from pursuing legal action against the organizations that administer the hookah facilities.

The state emphasized that the Act itself gives the authority to search for, seize, and confiscate tobacco goods that are not in compliance with the Act's norms and prohibitions.  In a little while, the court will issue its ruling. The petitioners argued that because municipal officials had granted them a license to operate hookah parlors, they should be exempt from police interference. "When the state government itself is permitting smoke rooms in restaurants, there is no point in stalling business," they claimed.

They said that because hookah also utilizes tobacco, what is allowed in a smoke room may also be allowed in a hookah parlor. "The cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, known as COTPA-2003, permits us to carry out our business..." According to COTPA rules, smoking rooms adjacent to hotels with 30 rooms or restaurants with 30 seats are recognized, according to state special counsel A Santhosh Kumar. Owners of hookah parlors cannot turn the rooms into hookah lounges, he added.
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Telangana Hyderabad

SIBY JEYYA

08/10/2023 07:46 AM