An eating house licence does not automatically include permission to serve hookah or herbal hookah, the Bombay High Court said while refusing relief to a suburban restaurant facing revocation of licence for serving herbal hookah.

A division bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and R N Laddha in its order dated April 24 noted that hookah cannot be one of the items being served in a restaurant where children, women and elderly visit for refreshments or food.