IPL Finals Week Turns Sour for Kohli! Police Book One8 Commune for Flouting Public Smoking Rules
Bengaluru (The Uttam Hindu): A case has been filed against cricketer Virat Kohli's pub ‘One8 Commune’. Located on the sixth floor of Ratnam Complex in Bengaluru, the pub has been booked under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA).
The case is related to not designating a smoking zone within the premises. The police received complaints that the rules regarding a smoking zone were being violated at One8 Commune. Cubbon Park Police took suo motu cognizance and registered a case under Sections 4 and 21 of the COTPA Act.
Under the COTPA Act, strict rules are enforced against smoking in public places, and non-compliance is considered a legal offense. One8 Commune is a pub chain owned by Virat Kohli, with branches in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.
This is not the first time the pub has landed in trouble. In June 2024, an FIR was filed for operating beyond the permitted hours, when it was found serving customers past 1 AM. Later in December 2024, the Greater Bengaluru Municipal Corporation (BBMP) issued a notice to the pub for violating fire safety rules.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is currently busy with IPL 2025. He is part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which has reached the final this season. This is the first time in nine years that the team has made it to the title match. On June 3, RCB will face Punjab Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both teams have never won an IPL title, so a new champion is guaranteed this year.