Pune, 11 November 2025: A surprise raid by Chaturshrungi Police exposed an illegal hookah parlour operating inside a café along the Aundh–Baner Link Road. Five people, including the owner, a manager and staff members, have been booked for running the unlawful setup.
Police received a tip-off that a hookah lounge was operating secretly on agricultural land under the name “Farm Café” at Survey No. 224 in Baner. Acting on the information, a team led by Senior Police Inspector Uttam Bhajanavale conducted the raid on Sunday night.
During the operation, police seized 20 hookah pots, flavoured tobacco pouches, and other materials worth ₹48,650. The accused have been identified as café owner Amit Walke of Aundh; manager Balbhim Koli of Aundh; operator Vikram Dwarkadas Gupta (23) of Baner; and workers Suraj Sanjay Verma (24) and Rajkumar Channu Ahirwal (19).
An FIR has been registered at Chaturshrungi Police Station under Sections 4(a) and 21(a) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2018. Assistant Police Inspector Aniket Pote is investigating the case.
The raid was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil, DCP (Zone 4) Somay Munde, and Assistant Commissioner Vitthal Dabhade. The team included API Pote, Havaldars Babasaheb Dangde, Irfan Momin, Shrikant Waghavale, Babulal Tandle, and constables Waghesh Kamble and Tushar Girange.
