The Bigg Boss 17 winner Munawar Faruqui, a stand-up comedian, was among the at least 14 people held by the Mumbai Police after they raided an allegedly illegal hookah parlour late on Tuesday. They were freed early on Wednesday, according to authorities.
Around 11 p.m., the Social Service Branch, which conducted the raids, discovered Faruqui and the others smoking hookah that had been laced with tobacco at a joint in the Bora Bazar neighbourhood of Fort in south Mumbai.
The raids, which continued till this morning, were also seen on camera. During them, Faruqui was observed savouring tobacco-based hookahs rather than the authorised herbal types.
The defendants were brought before the MRA Marg Police Station and charged with offences that are subject to bail under the Indian Penal Code and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.
According to the officials, all of the accused were handed notifications this morning and subsequently freed from custody. The police have taken nine hookah pots, valued at about Rs 13,000, along with cash during the raids. Additional research is being done further.
