The Delhi High Court has sought response of the City Government on a plea by two bar owners seeking to restrain the authorities from interfering with their business of serving herbal hookah as permitted by the court in November.
Justice Rekha Palli said the interim permission that was granted by the court is subject to the petitioner owners filing their individual undertakings before it that herbal hookahs, which they serve by using disposable pipes, will be absolutely nicotine free and that existing COVID-19 protocols will be strictly followed.
The court issued notice to the Delhi government and granted four weeks time to file a counter affidavit. It said that subject to filing of undertaking by the petitioners, they will be entitled to get the same benefit as others were granted via a November16 order. The court listed the matter for further hearing on February 9. On November 16, the high court had passed an interim order on a batch of pleas, allowing for the time being the use of herbal hookah in restaurants and pubs in the national capital and said that COVID-19 restrictions cannot be permitted to continue at the cost of livelihood. The petitioners said they were filing an undertaking before the court, in terms of the November 16 order, that they will only serve flavoured hookahs with the use of disposable pipes while following COVID-19 protocols.
