Gurgaon: About 100 students of various reputed schools from Delhi and Gurgaon were detained from a pub in a mall here when they were allegedly smoking hookah during a party, police said today.

However, they were released later and no action was taken against them, but the pub's manager was booked under section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and the pub was sealed, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Alok Mittal said.

The District Magistrate had some months ago imposed ban on serving hookah under Section 144 CrPC in Gurgaon. The students aged between 15 and 20 had attended the birthday party hosted by one of them and they were allegedly served hookah there on Sunday afternoon, Mittal said.

The students were detained, but let off after registering their names, addresses and other details, he said, adding that they were handed over to their parents. The pub owner was booked and his pub was sealed, he said.

Police and excise department officials raided a 'sex-and-smoke' themed birthday party - hosted by one of the students - at the Buzz-in pub and lounge that was serving alcohol to children aged 14 to 18 years, all way below the legal drinking age of 25. The police closed the pub down and arrested its manager.

This is the second time the police have raided a pub in Gurgaon and found minors drinking. On December 25, 2010, it had spotted 80 students in a pub in Sahara Mall, which was subsequently sealed but just for a few days. The Pub owner got away with a fine of Rs. 80,000.

With many pubs dotting Gurgaon's mall mile, competition is fierce and checking for underage drinkers not much of a priority.

"We raided the pub and were shocked to find a large crowd of minors drinking and smoking. I have ordered the arrest of the bar owner, Milap Singh," said joint commissioner of police Maheshwar Dayal, who led the police team on Sunday.

"We have challaned the pub under the excise Act," said excise inspector Subhash Kaushik.

The party was in full swing when the raid team crashed it at 4pm. The children were detained and made to register their names, addresses and dates of birth with the police. They were let off after their parents were called.

Many of the school children feigned ignorance of what was going on and denied being part of the party. "I just came to visit the place and have fun but I was not part of the party. Now the police have detained me too," said a 14-year-old boy from Palam Vihar.

Another said he had no idea that alcohol would be served.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.