KALKA, 23 June — In a coordinated pre-dawn raid, Kalka police shut down an illicit hookah parlour and seized unlicensed liquor from Okho Resort in the Pinjore area, following a tip-off about unauthorized activities on the premises.
Officers arrived at the resort in the early hours of Sunday and found several people gathered near the poolside, openly consuming alcohol and smoking hookah. Women were also present at the scene. According to the police, one of the accused, identified as Rohit from Pinjore, attempted to destroy evidence by throwing hookah flavours into the pool and emptying liquor bottles.
“We received credible information about illegal hookah service at the resort, and a team was immediately dispatched,” said a senior Kalka police official involved in the operation.
The raid led to the recovery of six liquor bottles of various premium brands including Jameson, Black & White, Blender’s Pride, Antiquity Blue, and Hundred Pipers. Authorities also confiscated four hookahs, four boxes of flavoured hookah tobacco, two chillams, and four hookah pipes.
Three men have been booked in the case: Rohit, a resident of Pinjore; Kamalpreet, from Dharampur Colony, Pinjore; and the resort manager, Amit, from Kalka.
The police have registered a case under Section 72-C(c) of the Punjab Excise Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), and Sections 223(b), 271, and 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to endangering public safety and distributing unsafe consumables.
“The operation was part of our ongoing efforts to curb illegal liquor trade and ensure public spaces remain compliant with legal standards,” the officer added.
Further investigation is underway.
