Acting on specific intelligence, officers from the Ambazari police station raided Soro Cafe in Ramnagar at approximately 8:30 PM on September 13. The surprise operation uncovered an illegal hookah service operating on the premises, leading law enforcement to register formal cases against five individuals, including the venue’s owner, a staff member, and several patrons caught in the act.
The police identified the cafe owner as Dnyaneshwar Ganpati Pauniker (32), a resident of Jaganath Budhwari near Mata Mandir, and the waiter as Sachin Gopichand Kawale (28), residing in Trimurtinagar near Bhange Lawn. Both individuals were allegedly serving the prohibited tobacco products to visitors at the time of the raid. The three customers caught consuming the banned hookah were identified as Mahendra Vivek Aglave (32) of Mahal, Pranay Satish Londhe (22) of Ambazari, and Gaurav Narendra Khandare (30) of Gittikhadan.
During the search operation, police confiscated multiple hookah pots, a variety of flavored tobacco packets, and associated apparatus used for serving customers, with the seized property collectively valued at ₹2,550. Authorities documented the materials as physical evidence to support the ongoing legal proceedings against the establishment and the individuals involved.
A comprehensive case has been registered by the Ambazari police under Section 272 of the relevant penal code, alongside Sections 4, 6, 7, 20, 21, and 24 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, read with the Maharashtra Amendment Act, 2018. The stringent provisions address both the unauthorized sale of tobacco products and the operation of illegal hookah bars within public eateries.
The enforcement drive was executed under the direct guidance of Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil and Joint Police Commissioner Navinchandra Reddy. Following the operation, senior officials emphasized that city police will maintain strict surveillance over local cafes and restaurants. They confirmed that rigorous legal action will persist against any commercial establishments violating public health laws and anti-tobacco mandates across the region.
