Allahabad HC orders ban on hookah bars in UP

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has banned hookah bars in Uttar Pradesh. The court has ordered the chief secretary not to allow hookah bars to be run in any restaurant and cafe. The court has asked for a compliance report of this order by September 30.

The court directed the general secretary to send a copy of the order to the chief secretary and all the district magistrates of the state for compliance. This order was given by a division bench of Justice Shashikant Gupta and Justice Shamim Ahmed while hearing a public interest litigation on the letter of Lucknow University law student, Hargovind Pandey.

The court appointed advocate Vinayak Mittal as amicus curiae in the case. The court said that Corona infection is spreading rapidly in the state. The number of corona cases is increasing daily. The bench asked the chief secretary to prepare a road map to prevent its spread and also commented that no help is available without lockdown.

The court said that despite the lockdown, the Corona continues to spread like wildfire. It poses a threat to the existence of human life.

"We are standing amidst a dense dark forest. It is not known what will happen tomorrow. If hookah bars are not banned in restaurants and cafes, it will take the form of community transition," the judges said.

The law student had earlier written a letter to the authorities but no action was taken. The court also issued a show cause notice to the chief secretary as to why the petition should not be accepted but no reply was filed. On this, the court issued an order that hookah bars would be banned and directed the government to follow the same.