- (1.) Heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned counsel for the Union of India and learned counsel for the State.
(2.) Petitioner has preferred this writ petition as a Public Interest Litigation. Petitioner claims to be a registered non-governmental organization working in Tehsil Salempur, District Deoria, Uttar Pradesh for different welfare measures including spreading education / information to the public at large about the ill effects of consumption of tobacco products like cigarettes, beedis chewing tabacco, gutkha, pan masala etc.
(3.) The prayer in the writ petition is to direct the respondents to undertake a comprehensive analysis and study of the contents of cigarettes and other items noticed above and their harmful effect and in that light issue mandamus to prohibit / ban the manufacturing, storage and sale of all forms of tobacco products within the territory of India. The other prayer included the direction to strictly enforce the provisions of The Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008 and also not to allow any vendor to sell cigarettes / beedis in loose quantity because in absence of the packet which contains statutory warning the consumer may not learn ill effects of consumption of cigarettes / beedis which he purchases in loose numbers.;