A general store owner has been arrested by the Gurugram Police for allegedly selling tobacco products to a minor.
First instance
It is the first instance in Haryana and the National Capital Region where the police have acted on the provisions of the amended Juvenile Justice Act for selling tobacco products to minors, claimed the Gurugram Police. According to SHO at Sadar Police Station, Inspector Vijay Kumar, a 13-year-old boy identified as Akash was selling tobacco products such as cigarettes and gutka on a pavement on Bharampur Road.
Amended Act
The boy purportedly told the police that he had brought the tobacco products from Yogesh Chauhan, a general store owner. Yogesh was later arrested under Section 77 of the amended Juvenile Justice Act. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dharna Yadav, had directed the Station House Officers to take action under the amended Juvenile Justice Act for selling tobacco products to minors following directions from Gurugram Police Commissioner Sandeep Khirwar.
The project director of Voice of Tobacco Victims, Aashima Sarin, had earlier informed the Haryana Director General of Police and other senior officers about the provisions against the selling of tobacco products to minors under the amended Juvenile Justice Act and demanded police action.
Direction from DGP
The DGP had then directed all police chiefs in the districts to take action.
Mr. Kumar said that as per the amendment in the Act, selling tobacco products to minors is a punishable act with upto seven years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine amounting to Rs.1 lakh. “We will continue to take action under the Act against those who sell tobacco products to minors,” said Mr. Kumar.
