Five paan shop owners held for stocking, selling banned tobacco products

Thane, Nov 22 (PTI) Police have arrested five paan shop owners for allegedly storing and selling banned tobacco products at their stalls in Thane city of Maharashtra, an official said on Wednesday.

The action against the accused, who operate the shops in Naupada area of the city, was taken following a raid conducted by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), he said.

They were booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 273 (selling any noxious food or drink), 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale so as to make the same noxious) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and under various sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act and the FDA regulations.

All the five shops have been sealed by the FDA officials following the recovery of the banned tobacco products worth Rs 31,744.

The accused were identified as Ganashyam Gaudin Patel, Mahesh Sriram Patel, Ramchandra Shyamlal Patel, Omprakash Mohanlal Patel and Kondiram Narayan Pawar, the police said, adding that a probe was on. PTI COR NP