Kota police on Sunday arrested a Blinkit delivery agent for allegedly delivering cigarettes to underaged students in the coaching hub. The accused, identified as Satyaprakash Koli, was apprehended while he was supplying cigarettes to coaching students on Saturday evening. He was arrested from Kota’s Landmark City area.
Crackdown against sale and supply of cigarettes
As per the police, Koli was arrested during a crackdown against sale and supply of cigarettes by quick commerce platforms to underaged coaching students. The accused, who works for Blinkit, has been booked under section 77 of Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and under section 9/11 of Rajasthan Prohibition of Smoking and Non-smoker's Health Protection Act.
Investigation underway
SP Kota city Amrita Duhan said the city police had already written to representatives of Blinkit company at its office in Landmark City asking not to sell and supply cigarettes to minor students, but despite the instruction, the company was found to be selling them to the coaching students.
The investigation is underway to find out other personnel of the company involved in sale and supply of prohibited material to the minor.
Chargesheet against Blinkit
Kunhadi Circle Inspector Arvind Bhardwaj said the police will also file a chargesheet against the company. Supplying smoking material and tobacco to minors is a serious offence and police, during investigation, will also take into account the company's distribution network of prohibited items in other cities, he said. Stock and supply registers, recovered from the company's store, were seized for examination, he added.
Tobacco product sale regulations in India
As per the norms of Union Health Ministry, the sale of tobacco products to and by minors (less than 18 years of age) is prohibited and is a punishable offence. Furthermore, sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions is prohibited and is a punishable offence.
Rajasthan's Kota is hotspot for entrance exam preparation. Every year, thousands of class 11th, 12th students come to Kota to prepare for National level entrance exams like Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination- IIT JEE and National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG).
However, the city is already under the lens due to suicide cases. Despite several efforts by the state government and district administration, Kota suicide cases are not completely curbed. ]
(With inputs from PTI)
