No special treatment for unruly customers claiming political connections, says Cyberabad top cop

Cyberabad Commissioner of Police M. Ramesh along with Administrator DCP T. Annapurna, Kukatpally DCP Riti Raj, Quthbullapur DCP N. Koti Reddy, Serilingampally DCP Ch. Srinivas and SOT DCP Shobhan Kumar during the meeting. | Photo credit: By arrangement

Cyberabad Police Commissioner M. Ramesh on Monday directed owners of hotels, bars, restaurants, pubs and hookah centers to strictly adhere to licensing and operating norms and warned that legal action would be taken against establishments found violating the rules.

In a review meeting with business owners and officials at the auditorium of the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, Commissioner Ramesh said that the establishment must have all the required permits and licenses, including those from the fire brigade, CMC, chief medical officer and health officer, and the town planning department. Licenses issued through the CPPMS portal should also be renewed on time, he said.

The commissioner said the number of officially licensed establishments within the Cyberabad commissionerate appears to be low despite the large number of hotels, restaurants, pubs and similar businesses operating in the area. He said cases of establishments operating without proper licenses had been noticed by the police and warned that legal action would follow.

Business owners have expressed concerns about different departments having different timelines for licenses and permits. Mr. Ramesh directed the officials to coordinate with the concerned departments to resolve the issues while ensuring regulatory compliance.

He made it clear that pubs, bars and similar establishments must close at the permitted time and that no activities including the sale of alcohol will be allowed after closing time. Minors must not be allowed to enter bars and restaurants, he said.

The commissioner also directed the management to ensure that the employees have valid Aadhaar verification, identification documents and proof of age and warned against employing minors.

The officer also told business owners to monitor the behavior of customers and said that people claiming to be relatives of politicians or other prominent people would not be given special treatment if they broke the rules or were rude to staff. According to him, the law would apply equally to everyone.

He also asked businesses to prevent altercations and clashes between groups in bars and pubs, noting that such incidents could lead to law and order problems and inconvenience to the public. The owners were asked to cooperate with the police in limiting the use and sale of narcotics and other prohibited substances.

Regarding hookah centres, the commissioner said that such facilities cannot function in view of the ban on hookah in Telangana. He warned that violation of the provisions of COTPA could attract strict action, including penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹2,000.

Mr. Ramesh said the Cyberabad police have no intention of preventing businesses from operating legally, but will take strict action against businesses that violate laws and regulations.

Published – 07 Sep 2026 23:32 IST