Delhi: Hotel owner arrested for serving liquor without permit

Anil Khilwani said that the club is set to launch later this month. Eish Singhal, DCP (New Delhi), said, “We received a complaint from the Excise Department and arrested the two men. Police are now verifying claims made by them.” (Representational Image)

The owner and manager of the yet-to-open Soul Club at The Ashok hotel in Chanakyapuri were arrested after a police raid found the club allegedly serving liquor and hookahs without a permit, during a “soft-launch” Wednesday night. Over 98 liquor bottles, some of them empty, and four hookahs were recovered, police said.

The club owner, Anil Khilwani, denied the charges and claimed the club was not operational when police carried out the raid. Khilwani and the club manager, Malay Kumar, were granted bail by the court. “We found that liquor was served at the party without a permit. Khilwani and Kumar were unable to produce required documents,” an Excise department officer claimed.

Khilwani said that the club is set to launch later this month. Eish Singhal, DCP (New Delhi), said, “We received a complaint from the Excise Department and arrested the two men. Police are now verifying claims made by them.”