Munawar Faruqui released after being detained for smoking hookah

Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) The Mumbai Police swooped on an alleged illegal hookah parlour and detained at least 14 persons including stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui, the winner of ‘Big Boss-17’, late on Tuesday, and released them here on Wednesday morning, officials said.

The Social Service Branch, which carried out the raids found Faruqui and the others smoking tobacco-laced hookah at a joint in the Bora Bazar area of Fort in south Mumbai, around 11 p.m.

The raid operations that lasted till early today, in which Faruqui, who was seen enjoying the tobacco-based hookahs instead of the permitted herbal varieties, was also captured on video.

The accused were taken to the MRA Marg Police Station and slapped with charges under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act and Indian Penal Code, all bailable offences.

Around dawn today, all the accused were served notices and then released from detention, said the officials.

During the raids, the police have seized nine hookah pots worth around Rs 13,000 and cash. Further investigations are on.

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