Selling gutkha and pan masala is illegal in Maharashtra yet many sell through illegal means in Mumbai alongside Maharashtra. Despite Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) stern action against sellers, gutkha selling is rampant in many parts of Mumbai and Maharashtra. This is because the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay HC order had termed the action taken by police against people possessing and storing gutkha as illegal.
However, now Supreme Court (SC) has made a way for police action in order to take action against gutkha sellers, informed FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) C B Pawar to Mumbai Live. He believes that the now FDA will be able to take 100 per cent action against gutkha sellers.
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Before 2016, FDA used to take action against gutkha sellers by filing FIRs. However, in March 2016, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court ordered that raids and actions initiated by police against people possessing and storing gutkha were illegal. So, the FDA officials had no other option but to stop lodging FIRs.
FDA officials believe that now they will be able to take stern action against gutkha sellers and will be able to stop illegally gutkha selling.