Thane: 5 paan shop owners arrested for selling banned tobacco products

Representative Image

Five paan shop owners from the Naupada area of Thane, Maharashtra, have been taken into custody by the police for allegedly stocking and selling tobacco products that are prohibited at their businesses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raided the city, leading to the arrests, stated a report in PTI.

According to the report, the individuals who are facing charges under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) are Ganashyam Gaudin Patel, Mahesh Sriram Patel, Ramchandra Shyamlal Patel, Omprakash Mohanlal Patel, and Kondiram Narayan Pawar.

The charges include poisoning someone to cause harm, selling food or drink that is harmful, adulterating food or drink that is meant for sale to make it harmful, and disobeying an order issued by a public servant. They have also been charged in accordance with applicable FDA regulations and provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

After the FDA sealed all five stores, prohibited tobacco products worth Rs 31,744 were seized as a result of the raid. The authorities are reporting that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.

It is worth noting that Maharashtra has outlawed the sale and use of gutka, scented, and flavoured tobacco since 2012.

According to the police, four paan shop owners in Navi Mumbai were taken into custody on Tuesday for allegedly stocking and selling illegal tobacco products, as PTI was informed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reportedly carried out a raid on the businesses near the APMC market premises.

In a press release, the APMC police station stated that during the Monday raids, FDA agents seized tobacco products that were prohibited and had a total estimated value of Rs 5,000. PTI further reported that the accused were between the ages of 23 and 61.

The PTI report continued by stating that despite being aware of the products' harmful effects, the accused were still discovered to be in possession of them.

In accordance with applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Indian Penal Code, and FDA regulations, authorities have filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the case.

Investigative work is being done to find out how the accused obtained the prohibited goods, a police official told PTI.

With PTI inputs