Two women held for abusing cops at pub

THE PROPRIETOR OF THE PUB WAS ALSO HELD AS HE DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE COTPA WHICH STATES FOOD, ALCOHOL AND HOOKAH CANNOT BE SERVED IN ONE PLACE

MUMBAI: Two women were arrested on Sunday for allegedly abusing some policemen conducting a raid in an Andheri (West) pub. The 35-year-old proprietor of the pub, Jatin Desai, was also arrested as he did not follow the rules of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).

According to the Amboli police, around 1am, a team of crime branch unit 9, on the orders of senior inspector Mahesh Desai raided a bar in a mall on New Link Road, Lokhandwala, after a tip-off that the eatery does not follow the COTPA rules.

“The law states that food, alcohol and hookah cannot be served in one place. A special smoking zone needs to be made,” an officer said.

When an officer went up to the two women, Richa Kothari, 30, and Swati Harmilani, 32, and their group to ask their names, the duo got irritated. The women, who were inebriated, charged at the officer and one of them even abused a cop.

The police said the women, who hail from Delhi and were visiting Mumbai, were upset because they had paid a lot of money to enter the eatery and smoke hookah.

While Harmilani’s husband refused to comment on the matter, the eatery could not be reached for a response.

An officer said the accused have been remanded to police custody till July 31.

“The women have been booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The proprietor has been booked under sections 4 (no person shall smoke in any public place) and 21 (punishment for section 4) of COTPA.”