College students busted in illegal hookah parlour

An illegal hookah parlour in Borivli saw some unexpected visitors late in the evening yesterday. The Kasturba Marg police station showed up at a residential flat and nabbed the owner and six college students. The owner of the flat has been identified as Deepak, while the college students four boys and two girls are enrolled at nearby colleges in Malad and Kandivli.

During the raid at Krishna building on Carter Road Number 4, Borivli (East), the police seized material and flavours used to make the hookah

The group used to operate on WhatsApp and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), both of which are mobile messaging services. The messengers would be used to send out invites to customers and updates too were sent using these platforms. To avoid entry of unwanted people, the invited customers would be provided with a password. Only when they said the code word at the entrance of the flat would they be allowed inside.

According to API Raorane of Kasturba Marg police station, the police got a tip-off about the business being run at Krishna building on Carter Road Number 4, Borivli (East). During the raid, police seized material and flavours used to make the hookah, which used to enjoy immense popularity among the youth until the BMC banned it in July 2011. The joint had been operational for the past 2-3 months. Police are investigating to find out how many more are involved in the racket.u00a0