Pune, 31 January 2026: Police carried out a raid on an illegally operating hookah parlour in the Swargate area of Pune, registering a case against six individuals, including the hotel manager and owner.
Acting on a tip-off, the Pune Police conducted a late-night operation at El Dinero Hotel, located on the third floor of Modi Plaza building near Laxminarayan Chowk. The premises were allegedly being used to run a hookah parlour in violation of existing regulations.
When the police team arrived, the hotel’s shutter was found locked from inside. Despite repeated calls, there was no response from within, following which the fire brigade was called in to force open the shutter and allow entry.
Inside, police found customers consuming hookah after paying cash. Several hookah pots, chillums, prohibited tobacco products, and related materials were seized from the spot.
A case has been registered against hotel manager Sunny Sundar Parihar (33), a resident of Gultekdi, Swargate, hotel owner Pratik Vikas Mehta of Chavan Nagar, Dhankawadi, along with four others.
The action was carried out under the guidance of senior police officials, including Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region) Rajendra Bansode.