Govt seeks SC help over smoking ban

The Centre on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of petitions filed by tobacco companies challenging the move.

With less than a week left for the implementation of the ban on smoking in public places, the Centre on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of petitions filed by tobacco companies challenging the move.

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Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium mentioned the Centre’s petition before a bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan which posted it for hearing on Monday.

The ban is to come into effect from October 2.

Subramanium said various corporate bodies were trying to block the implementation of the ban on smoking in public places by filing lawsuits in different high courts across the country. He pointed out that the relevant rules in this regard were notified in May 2008.

Seeking transfer of all such petitions Sbramaniam told the bench that even on September 23, various industrial houses and corporate bodies filed three lawsuits in the Delhi High Court for the purpose. He requested the court to transfer to itself all the petition against the anti-smoking order.

On behalf of the tobacco companies, senior counsel Harish Salve said the government notification went much beyond what was permissible under the law.