Bengaluru: The Cubbon Park Police have registered a suo motu case against One8 Commune, a pub and restaurant co-owned by cricketer Virat Kohli, for alleged violations of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
The establishment has been booked under Sections 4 and 21 of the Act for failing to maintain a designated smoking area within its premises.
This is not the first time the establishment has come under regulatory scrutiny. In July 2024, the same pub was found operating beyond the permissible hours during a routine night patrol.
Police Sub-Inspector Ashok Thakur reported that the pub was still serving customers at 1:20 a.m., exceeding the city's 1 a.m. deadline for such establishments. Consequently, an FIR was filed against the pub's manager under Section 103 of the Karnataka Police Act.
Additionally, in December 2024, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued a notice to One8 Commune over alleged fire safety violations. The civic body acted upon a complaint by a social activist, stating that the pub was operating without implementing mandated fire safety measures or obtaining a fire department clearance certificate.
The BBMP had previously issued a notice on November 29, but the pub management failed to respond, prompting a seven-day deadline for compliance, failing which legal action would be initiated.
One8 Commune's Bengaluru branch, located on the sixth floor of Ratnam's Complex on Kasturba Road near the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, was inaugurated in December 2023.
The establishment is part of a chain with outlets in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata.
As of now, the management of One8 Commune has not issued any public statement regarding these violations. Investigations are ongoing, and further actions will depend on the outcomes of these probes.
