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matter for further hearing after two
weeks.
The petition sought the ban saying
the tobacco products could cause
cancer. The state government had in
2013 imposed a ban on the items and
has been extending it annually by way
of an order.
In yet another development, gutkha
worth 51.83 lakh was seized from two
different places in Palghar district of
Maharashtra and three people were
arrested in this connection in the third
week of April.
Acting on a tip-off, the police inter-
cepted a tempo at Acchad checkpost
on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway
night while it was coming from Guja-
rat and found gutkha worth around

Man fined for spitting Despite having strict
laws and high prices
paan Masala on road after the GST bill was
passed, huge number
of people in India still
In a first, the Ahmedabad municipality fines him 100 for consume Paan Masala
doing so, reports tehelka bureau
and tobacco
n a first development of its kind exemplary punishment in November
in India, where the number of 2018 to clamp down on those spitting 41.83 lakh being carried in the vehicle,
paan masala consumers is in mil- gutka and paan on the streets. People a police spokesperson said. The tempo
lions, a case has been filed against found spitting in public places would driver and its cleaner were arrested
I a man for spitting it on road. The be made to pay a fine of 100 and also following the seizure and the vehicle
culprit has also been fined 100 for the clean up their act and this will be cap- was impounded, he said.
act. Mahesh Kumar from Ahmedabad’s tured via videos and photographs. Besides, the police also raided a
eastern suburb of Naroda, was caught In a separate incident, the Madras godown in Vasai area the same day
spitting on CCTV near the Sardar Patel High Court bench on April 15 sought and seized gutkha worth 10 lakh
Statue Road. to know from the Tamil Nadu govern- from there, the spokesperson said.
According to AMC, it is the first such ment as to why a total and permanent The godown owner was subsequently
case in the country. The press state- ban on ‘gutka’ and ‘paan masala’ can- arrested, he said. All the three accused
ment also states that the civic body not be imposed. Justice N Kirubakaran were booked under relevant sections
issued an e-memo for violation of pub- and Justice S S Sundar directed the of the Indian Penal Code and the Food
lic health laws. Recently, Ahmedabad state chief secretary and the health Safety and Standards Act, he added.
was selected as the top city in a secretary to file a reply to a public in- The sale and consumption of gut-
national cleanliness survey. Despite terest litigation (PIL) seeking the ban. kha and paan masala was banned in
having strict laws and high prices after ‘’Why not the government is going Maharashtra in 2012. The state govern-
the GST bill was passed, major number for permanent ban on the two prod- ment last year announced that sale of
of people in India still consume Paan ucts, why only a government order gutkha would be made a non-bailable
Masala and tobacco. has been issued banning them (for a offence.
Earlier, the Municipal authori- specific period) instead of a total ban,’’
ties in Pune had come up with an the judges asked. The bench posted the letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 62 www.Tehelka.com