Delhi HC Rejects PIL for Ban on Sale, Consumption of Tobacco Products Near Temple

The Delhi High Court refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) submitted by Abhimanyu Sharma, a priest, seeking directions to ban the sale and consumption of tobacco products and other items like toffees, candies, chips and soft drinks near the Baba Balak Nath Mandir in Delhi. 

He claimed that selling tobacco products near temple premises amounted to a violation of the fundamental rights of the devotees under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.

A bench chaired by Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru remarked that it was inappropriate to intervene, highlighting that such regulations fall under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).

The responsibility for enforcement lies with the appropriate authorities.