One8 Commune, the upscale restaurant and pub chain co-owned by cricket star Virat Kohli, is facing legal trouble in Bengaluru. The Cubbon Park Police have filed a suo motu FIR against the establishment for violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, by failing to provide a designated smoking area on the premises.
The FIR, registered under Sections 4 and 21 of COTPA, holds the restaurant’s manager and staff accountable for permitting smoking in a public space without a compliant zone. The action follows a routine patrol on May 29, during which police observed the violation and filed the complaint at Cubbon Park Police Station.
This incident comes amid Karnataka’s intensified crackdown on tobacco-related infractions. Just a day before, the state implemented a blanket ban on hookah bars and raised the legal tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21, as part of recent amendments to the COTPA Act, which received Presidential assent in 2024.
This is not the first regulatory issue faced by One8 Commune in Bengaluru. In June 2024, the outlet was booked for operating beyond legal hours. Later, in December 2024, it received a notice from BBMP over fire safety violations and the absence of a clearance from the Fire Department.
Launched in 2017, One8 Commune is part of Kohli’s larger One8 lifestyle brand, inspired by his jersey number. What began as a collaboration with Puma in the athleisure segment has grown into a multi-category venture including fragrances, wellness, and hospitality. The restaurant chain has outlets in Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
