THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE N.V.SHRAVAN KUMAR WRIT PETITION No.27220 of 2025

ORDER

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home appearing for respondent Nos.1 to 5. With their consent this writ petition is taken up for disposal at the admission stage itself.

2. This writ petition is filed seeking following prayer:-

“directing the Respondents herein to allow the petitioner cafe named Mannat Cafe and Lounge having its premises at 2610/MQS/205 Pillar No.210, Upperpally, Rajendranagar, Ranga Reddy to serve hookah to their clientele as per COTPA Act and to further direct the Police authorities not to interfere in the lawful business of the Petitioner herein including serving hookah at per COTPA Act.”

3. The facts of the case in brief as stated are that petitioner claims to be Managing Partner of the Coffee Shop namely ‘Mannat Café and Longue’ having its premises at 2-6- 10/MQS/205, Pillar No.210, Upperpally, Rajendranagar, Ranga Reddy District. It is submitted that the said Coffee shop has designated space for the purposes of smoking as per COTPA Act as well as CCTV coverage for all areas where customers are present. It is further submitted that respondent authorities more particularly respondent Nos.5 and 6 have stopped the petitioner’s café from serving hookah and informed the petitioner that they need to get order from the High Court without which respondent Nos.5 and 6 will not let them serve hookah as per COTPA Act. However, respondent authorities have refused to give in writing that they would need an order from the High Court. Questioning the same, the present writ petition is filed.

4. On a perusal of the COTP Act, 2003, Sub-clauses (b), (k)

and (n) of Section 3: Definitions, reads as under:

“(b) cigarette includes,--

(i) any roll of tobacco wrapped in paper or in any other substance not containing tobacco, (ii) any roll of tobacco wrapped in any substance containing tobacco, which, by reason of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the filter, or its packaging and labelling is likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as cigarette, but does not include beedi, cheroot and cigar;

(k) production, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes the making of cigarettes, cigars, cheroots, beedis, cigarette tobacco, pipe tobacco, hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco, pan masala or any chewing material having tobacco as one of its ingredients (by whatever name called) or snuff and shall include--

(i) packing, labelling or re-labelling, of containers;

(ii) re-packing from bulk packages to retail packages; and (iii) the adoption of any other method to render the tobacco product marketable;

(n) smoking, means smoking of tobacco in any form whether in the form of cigarette, cigar, beedis or otherwise with the aid of a pipe, wrapper or any other instruments;”

5. Section 4 of the Act stipulates prohibition of smoking in a public place. As per the State Amendment of Gujarat, Section 4A has been inserted which is extracted hereunder for reference:

“Prohibition of hookah bar.--4A.Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, no person shall, either on his own or on behalf of any other person, open or run any hookah bar in any place including the eating house.

Explanation.-- The term eating house shall have the same meaning as assigned to it by clause (5A) of section 2 of the Gujarat Police Act, 1951 (Bom. XXII of

1951).”

6. Similarly the State of Maharashtra also inserted Section 4A as was inserted by State of Gujarat.

7. This Court has taken note of the above amendments carried out by other States in their respective statutes on the subject which may serve as useful guide.

8. Section 6 of the Act refers to prohibition on sale of cigarette or other tobacco products to persons below the age of 18 years and in particular area.

9. Section 7 of the Act stipulates Restrictions on trade and commerce in, and production, supply and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Sub