Central Zone Task Force sleuths on Thursday raided hookah centres in the city which have been known to provide hookahs to customers without checking their ages, and detained 18 minors for indulging in the illegal activity.
According to the police, one such centre, Silver Foil, was raided based on information that minors were being permitted hookah smoking in the afternoon. 18 boys and girls, all of them minors, and belonging to middle and upper middle class families, were found to be indulging in the activity. They are all students of various junior colleges who had either missed or bunked their colleges.
The youth taken to the Narayanaguda police station and counselled by Central Zone DCP Akun Sabharwal. Later, their parents were also called to the police station. Speaking to the parents and minors, Dr. Sabharwal warned them to mend their ways, else they would land in greater trouble in future.
On the request of the parents regarding the effect of any legal action on the futures of the children, the minors were let off after taking written undertakings from both the parents and the minors.
After the counselling session, speaking to the media, it was informed that a period of 48 hours has been given to all hookah centres to comply with instructions regarding licence and ages of the customers.
The owners of Silver Foil were arrested under relevant sections of the law after registration of a criminal case at the police station.