Excise officials warn Hyderabad pubs

Hyderabad: After a meeting with representatives of pubs and star hotels in connection with drug abuse, Excise officials on Saturday evening said they had suspended the licence of F-Club in Film Nagar and 14 other bars and clubs in the city had been issued warning letters as some of them had allowed sale and consumption of drugs on their premises.

The probe officials took the decision following the information they gathered from drug peddlers, students, some members of the Tollywood film industry, a few employees of MNCs, and others who have been questioned so far.

Excise officials had met owners and managers of the pubs and bars on Saturday to discuss the matter of drug use on their premises. The owners have been asked to keep an eye out for drug peddlers at their outlets.

During the meeting, the Excise officials said that it is the responsibility of the establishment to make sure that none of the persons who visit them indulge in drugs on their premises. Failure to do so would lead to the cancellation of their licence. Earlier, drug peddlers Calvin, Zeeshan, Bob and others had confessed that they had used several pubs and bars to ply their trade. 

Most of the pubs located in Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Panjagutta, Begumpet and Hi-Tec City were already identified as the main centres for the consumption of drugs by several youngsters.

Separate chambers have been created within some of these pubs where the addicts meet the  peddlers to buy and consume drugs. Pub managements are said to be charging separate monies from both peddlers, consumers for these facilities, says sources.