The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation to remove the seal from Robustaa (Hyglow Cafe) in Kilpauk and to permit it to function.
Justice V Dhanapalan gave the direction last week while disposing of a writ petition from the restaurant, seeking to restrain Corporation officials from interfering with its smooth functioning.
According to advocate B Rabu Manohar, the restaurant management had been implementing the suggestions made by Corporation officials on various occasions. In such a situation, following complaints from an organisation nearby (Rukshan Annexe Association) to the Corporation and the CMDA to the effect that the restaurant was running a hookah bar, the Corporation issued a notice on July 5 and on the same day, sealed the premises. Hence, the present writ petition.
The restaurant gave an undertaking recently that it will not sell any tobacco product or run the hookah bar.
Taking note of the fact that the petitioner had a valid licence till March 31, 2012, the judge said the restaurant should be allowed to continue as per the conditions stipulated in the licence. The officials were at liberty to make periodicial inspections and take appropriate action if there were violations, the judge added.
He also directed the registry to forward copies of this judgment to the chief secretary and the secretaries of the health and family welfare and the municipal administration to take steps to regulate hookah bars.
