Assam News: Man arrested for smoking on Guwhati to Bengaluru IndiGo Flight
A man was arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport allegedly for smoking in the toilet on an IndiGo flight from Assam on Friday. The accused passenger has been identified as Shehari Choudari, who violated the anti-smoking laws and endangered the safety of other passengers.
According to sources, Choudari was traveling on IndiGo flight 6E 716 from Guwahati to Bengaluru and smoked in the toilet at around 1.30 a.m. while the flight was in the air. The flight crew noticed the smell in the toilet and reported it to the authorities. He was taken into custody when he landed at the Bengaluru airport.
The airport police have registered a case against Choudari under Section 25 (1) (b) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, which prohibits smoking in public places and imposes a penalty of up to Rs. 1000 or imprisonment up to two years for the first conviction and up to Rs. 5000 or imprisonment up to five years for a subsequent conviction.
Smoking in public places has been banned nationwide since October 2, 2008, under COTPA, which defines public places as any place where access is permitted either expressly or impliedly to the public such as auditoriums, cinemas, hospitals, public transport, restaurants, hotels, bars, pubs, offices, libraries, courts, etc. Smoking is allowed only in designated separate smoking areas in airports and other enclosed workplaces.
Assam News: Passenger On Board Assam-Bengaluru IndiGo Flight Arrested for Smoking https://t.co/jd0Of4rXdg
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The ban on smoking in public places aims to protect non-smokers from exposure to second-hand smoke, which can cause various health problems such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory infections. According to World Health Organization (WHO), India is home to 12% of the world’s smokers, and more than one million people die yearly from tobacco-related illnesses.
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