Raising fears over flourishing business of hookah bars in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat High Court on Friday started suo moto trials and issued notices to the state government, AMC (Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner) and city police commissioner respondents in this regard.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice C K Buch started the suo moto proceedings on the back of some vernacular media reports.

According to reports, hookah bars were indulged in a range of illegitimate actions and had turned new jaunts of drug trafficking among youth.

The division bench also remarked other reports, which said that dance bars, which had shut down in Mumbai, were making Ahmedabad their base.

In a declaration before the court, the city police commissioner stated that all the hookah bars in the city have been closed and severe rules have been released for those desiring to carry on operating them as also for those wishing for starting up similar ventures.

The court placed the commissioner’s report on record and sent further hearing in the case after four weeks, which is after court break, that starts on May 18.

On Thursday, the city police released an eight-point rule book for hookah bars that made video screening of hookah bars compulsory and also periodic forensic test of the contents utilized by the bars.